Should welfare caseworkers be held accountable for bad judgment?

Question

When investigating reports of abuse or unsafe living conditions as well as other types of complaints do you feel the caseworker involved should be held accountable for bad judgment? I'm so sick of reading about kids that were terribly abused and/or starved literally to death and no one knew about it even though CPS was notified and cleared the complaint as unsubstantiated. Evidence of multiple ER visits, school, relative and neighbor reports not even being addressed. I know they have heavy case loads but when they state they worked with the family and the symptoms were still there why don't they call the police and make a report and have it on record? I mean, these people sometimes remove the kids 2-3 times only to return them and many times end up retrieving a child too late to help. Why in cases like this are those workers not held accountable.

Tedex.........YES! I DO blame the caseworkers more than anyone else when I hear of another child's dead body being retrieved from the home that was reported several times and supposedly cleared by the caseworker without further action on their part. THEY are the primary voice for those that can't speak for themselves. FOLLOWUP is extremely important. I'm talking extremes here. Policies need to be revamped in the system and this scenario is one of them. Yes, they're overworked, understaffed and underpaid. So am I and a lot of other Americans today. But, they have a big responsibility and I expect them to take it seriously. I know their hands are tied in a lot of cases but if I were fired because of unorthodox actions and it saved just 1 life and the ones responsible went to jail I would pat myself on the back and celebrate. Families move with no notice. Kids have to register for school. If fat people can sue fast food for making them fat then this needs checking into pronto.

I lived next door to a family for awhile and saw their 16 month old playing in the front yard in just a diaper in weather too cold for just a diaper many times. Their 3 year old was out there too in pajamas. Both were filthy and would forage for something to eat while their parents were either still in bed or high. They had no idea where their kids were. I had taken their kids to them on numerous occasions after feeding them. They would take them out of my arms without a word and slam the door. I worried constantly about those babies. Welfare was already involved. When they were finally nailed it was because it was found that the house had no food or utilities and filthy beyong human habitability. That was found after the 16 month old was backed over while sleeping UNDER THE CAR by his father after beating his wife in a drunken rage around 2:30 in the morning. If the 3 year old told ME that her daddy hit her mommy I'm pretty sure she told the caseworker the same.

Answer 1

I'm a foster parent. Sadly, this kind of thing happens far to often. Allot of times, it's not the caseworkers fault the child is returned, but the judge's. I think whenever something happens like that, the whole case should be reviewed. If the caseworker did not give proper information, then yes it is there fault, and should be punished accordingly. Sometimes, the cops fail to report information.

Answer 2

These people are probably the most overworkeds and underpaid people on this planet., In most cases they've done everything they can,but where are you going to put the kids involved?

Bleeding heart judges, insufficient proigrams, and you blame the caseworkers??? Try getting a job as one, and in 5 years tell us if you want to post the same question again??

Answer 3

The person judges herself. And sometimes that judgment is very rash and brutal. Women, unfortunately, find that they are living in a sort of hell years later, because of an abortion. I think those who do choose abortion should be encouraged to have at least some counseling, because, no matter how much we may know that the fetus isn't a human, the loss for the woman is still real, and they end up blaming themselves -- even if it was the best decision they could make, given the circumstances.

Answer 4

yes, they have made the choice to have a career taking care of children. They in effect should shoulder the same responsibility for making sure that a child is taken care of properly as a parent.

Answer 5

Yes, but it should be determined on a case-by-case basis. Accountability should be determined based on objective and impartial examination of evidence.

Answer 6

Yes I think that they should