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DCFS reports rising maltreatment contacts, staffing strains and Garrett’s Law newborn‑exposure data
Summary
Tiffany Wright, DCFS director, presented the annual report showing ~34,162 accepted maltreatment reports in FY 2023, ~4,023 children in foster care with more discharges than entries, timeliness challenges tied to workforce turnover, and Garrett’s Law newborn reports with marijuana cited in roughly 78% of cases; members pressed for vacancy counts and follow‑up metrics.
Tiffany Wright, director of the Division of Children and Family Services, briefed the Senate Children and Youth Committee on multiple DCFS reports including the annual report card, an overturned‑investigations report (Act 1025), and Garrett’s Law newborn‑exposure summaries.
Key figures and performance: Wright said there were 34,162 maltreatment reports accepted in state fiscal year 2023, with 27,877 assigned to DCFS. DCFS reported that 4,023 children were in foster care at the end of the fiscal year and that discharges to permanency (2,795) exceeded entries, which the director characterized as progress toward permanency. Required monthly visit compliance in home‑services cases was reported at about 72–77% across measurement points; caseworker contact with children in foster care was reported at 88%.
Timeliness and staffing pressures: Multiple members raised…
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