After lots of hard work by our coalition of children’s social workers, Governor Brown signed a bill that will hold our counties accountable for hiring children’s social workers. Remember during the LA County contract we pushed hard for this commitment from the county.
Now we have a way to hold our counties accountable.
Counties will have to report where the money is spent or used. We can now track if a county put money into reserves instead of spending on critical services.
On a yearly basis we will be able to monitor the outcomes and expenditures for child welfare services, foster care, adoptions and adult protective services programs within each department in all of the counties.
The report will also contain the amount of funds each county received from the Protective Services Growth Special Account, child welfare services social worker caseloads and the number of authorized positions in the local child welfare services agency.
We can take this information and use it to evaluate the effectiveness of the county in its delivery of critical services and support.
“Information is power. And we will use our power to keep the children of LA County safer. We will be vigilant.”
– Maria Garcia, Children’s Social Worker, Vermont Corridor