COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - State senators looking into the South Carolina Department of Social Services were told Wednesday the agency has dozens of unfilled caseworker positions while the State Law Enforcement Division could use more investigators to look into suspicious child deaths.
Jessica Hanak-Coulter, the deputy director of human services for the agency, said there are currently 143 open caseworker positions and there’s been about a 50 percent turnover in DSS county directors during the past three years.
“One of the things we recognize is this is difficult work. We see some very difficult situations within the Department of Social Services,” she said. “For the General Assembly one of the things is recognizing we do see some very difficult things across the state and yet the staff gets up every day and does it again.”
Lawmakers said they wanted specific information on several cases that have been reported to the panel, including that of a baby born in a toilet who tested positive for drugs. Hanak-Coulter said she would get the information and get back to the senators.
She said that DSS, working with local agencies that provide social services, has been able to reach more families. Three years ago, there were 27,500 calls to the agency, but more than 10,000 families received no help because the reports were determined to be unfounded for actual child abuse.
But last year, of more than 28,000 calls, 16,600 families received some form of help after some of the cases were referred to community agencies, she said.
Capt. Michael Greene, head of the Special Victims Unit for SLED, said the agency has seven people who investigate suspicious child deaths and would like four more.
“We clearly could use some other investigators,” he said. “Ultimately the point I’d like to get to is where these investigators respond to the death scenes at the time they happen.”
Most investigations don’t begin until after the agency hears from a coroner or law enforcement about a death, he said.
The subcommittee chairman, Sen. Tom Young, R-Aiken, said the panel would hold more hearings.
“We have a lot more work to do,” said Sen. Joel Lourie, D-Richland. “We need to drill down on the caseworkers and I think there we will find there is a high turnover on caseworkers.”
He added everyone wants what’s best for South Carolina’s children.
“This is about oversight. We’re not here just to attack the agency,” he said. “We want to commend them on things they are doing right but also look for areas that we have concern about.”
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