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Bill would separate investigators from reunification workers in child-welfare cases
Summary
Sen. Dennis Lentz introduced Senate Bill 206 to require different Child Protective Services staff serve as the removing investigator and the reunification worker when possible; sponsors amended the measure to account for rural staffing limits.
Sen. Dennis Lentz introduced Senate Bill 206 to require clearer role separation between Child Protective Services investigators who remove children and the workers who handle reunification efforts, saying the change would reduce conflict and improve outcomes.
The bill would add definitions for a "child protection investigator" and a "child reunification specialist" and, where practicable, bar the same worker from both removing a child and later leading reunification efforts. "What I'm attempting to do is create a line between, and this isn't functional everywhere in the state, and we've amended this bill," Lentz said, adding the measure was amended to avoid problems in less populous areas.
The committee heard an informational presentation from Nikki Grossberg, division administrator for Child and Family Services. Grossberg said larger communities already use separate investigators and reunification or foster-care workers, which "does allow for us to better manage workload and relationships with the families." She told lawmakers that in rural areas the same worker often performs both roles because of staffing limits and that the department trains all workers through the same initial certification and on-call requirements. "If there is a conflict that we cannot get over ... our representation through the county attorney, we are able to change workers as needed," Grossberg said.
Committee members asked how the change would work in sparsely populated counties and whether additional training or licensing differentiates the two roles. Grossberg answered that most workers receive the same baseline training and that some reunification workers receive additional, role-specific instruction from county attorneys.
Lentz closed by saying the bill could be built on over time to strengthen different skill sets for the two roles, and he asked the committee for suggestions about a House carrier. Representative Rebus volunteered to carry the bill if it advances.
The committee took no vote at the hearing and moved to the next item on the agenda.
