Requirements for foster care workers too high, Kansas agency says

[TexasTowelie]

TOPEKA - Requirements to work in Kansas’ foster care system are too high, the agency in charge said Friday after a new audit found the state’s foster care contractors have difficulty employing enough workers.

Phyllis Gilmore, secretary of the Department for Children and Families, called the state’s requirements “overly restrictive (and) out of step with national trends.” She called on lawmakers to review the requirements.

Kansas requires foster care workers to be licensed social workers, and they must hold a bachelor’s degree in social work. Gilmore said nearly every other state does not require licensure, and that a handful of states do not require social workers to have social work degrees, but instead degrees in related fields, such as psychology.

“We believe we can further recruitment in Kansas by loosening restrictions,” Gilmore said.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article147426524.html

[Phoenix61]

1. How this for a novel approach

Reduce case size to realistic levels so social workers with a license aren't afraid they will lose it because a child they were responsible for got hurt. I worked as a CPS investigator in Alabama and we had to be licensed at the graduate level. The case load size was insane. I was 35 and my hair started falling out from the stress. There was just no way to ensure a child's safety when you have so many families to oversee. I wonder if the Kansas foster care workers are responsible for returning the child to their family?

[spooky3]

2. And how about raising the pay?

[Phoenix61]

3. Absolutely!

Not sure how their raise system works, but a salary bump at the 3 and 6 month post hire would be nice.