Veto hurts child-abuse probes, advocates warn

[Kadie]

Veto hurts child-abuse probes, advocates warn

By Clea Benson -- Bee Capitol Bureau
Published 2:15 am PDT Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's last-minute veto of child welfare funds could force counties to cut hundreds of social workers who respond to child abuse reports, potentially delaying tens of thousands of abuse investigations and dragging out the time some children spend in emergency shelters, according to advocates lobbying to have the money restored.

The governor cut $17.1 million from the $609 million child protection spending plan when he signed the state budget last month. The money came from a special pool lawmakers created in 1999 to increase the number of social workers after a state study found the average worker was handling more than twice the recommended load of abuse and neglect cases.

The County Welfare Directors Association, a nonprofit organization representing county human services administrators, projected that counties will lose 200 to 700 social workers who investigate between 40,000 and 130,000 child abuse reports each year.

"That's 40,000 to 130,000 investigations that some other overburdened worker has to do, or they won't happen," said Frank Mecca, director of the CWDA.

more...
http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/ca/story/10322924p-11243012c.html


These kids are nothing more than numbers on a piece of paper to arnie. These kids and the rest of us as a society are going to be paying for this for many years to come, and I don't mean financially.

[H2O Man]

1. This makes me sick.....

because it is the republican plan for the entire country. They don't give a shit about children who are not part of their family system. I worked "upstairs" from the folks who responded to the reports of suspected child neglect and abuse. And, on a good many cases, I was involved in the investigatory phase, including testifying in family court more times than I care to remember. Those workers make a big difference in children's lives. To cut back on the number of workers is criminal, and it is immoral.

[MichiganVote]

3. Yup. They'll be sorry. Some worker with too many cases

will miss a bad case, the kid or kids will die and who does the public crucify? The Social Worker of course. Jesus H. Christ can't we even take care of our kids anymore without begging for money from the rich governement and the even richer elite. What a crock this country has become.

10 years, something better change or I'm taking my retirement and moving out of this tripe shop. Sickening.

[Tardisian]

2. Like Bush...

I think he just doesn't care. If it doesn't ddirectly affect him, so what? Just a few more kids getting beat up.

:mad:

[atreides1]

4. But

He's still popular with a majority of Californians.

[SemperEadem]

5. yup.. now that they're breathing air, they don't deserve

protection. Only those in amniotic fluid deserve full rights and protection. They don't care that these kids are being abused... the rational being 'if we don't see them, then the problem doesn't exist'.

I thought the Rethugs were 'for the children'... another lie exposed. Schwarz should be nailed on this one-as should all rethugs in the state legislature.

Raise the vehicle tax on large SUV's (Hummers, Denalis, Suburbans, Escalades, Excursions, Expeditions)to pay for protecting children from abuse, unless the truth is children who breathe air are expendable.