Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo has ordered the county’s Department of Human Services to terminate its use of New York State’s Family Assessment Review Program.
The FAR Program was suspended in Monroe County by recommendation of the State Office of Children and Family Services itself. After putting the program on hold, Dinolfo ordered a review of how it was working in Monroe County. The review was conducted by retired Justice Thomas VanStrydonck, County Human Services Commissioner Corinda Crossdale, Mary Whittier of the Bivona Child Advocacy Center and Thomas Corbett of County Human Services.
FAR was supposed to make children safer, but the report found it didn’t work. The panel recommended the program be terminated.
Among the report findings: FAR actually blocked local investigation of allegations of abuse or mistreatment against children…and the money spent on it would be better spent on local Child Protective Services workers.