Monroe County Executive Cheryl Dinolfo has released an eight-point plan to upgrade Monroe County Child Protective Services…in the wake of controversy over the office’s failure to prevent the death of three-year-old Brook Stagles.
Dinolfo says she’s rearranging the 2018 county budget to include funding for 30 new CPS Caseworkers, bringing staffing back above 2010 levels. Those new and the existing workers will get salary upgrades. Dinolfo says the salary schedule is being reviewed and will be upgraded, with increased pay helping to recruit and retain more caseworkers. Caseworkers will be equipped with handheld tablets to reduce the paperwork they have to deal with. They’ll connect directly to the CPS case management network.
A local child abuse and maltreatment hotline will be reestablished in the county. There was a hotline but it was closed down in 2015.
Dinolfo also says she’s asking for a comprehensive review of state laws and regulations governing CPS casework, with an eye to launching a CPS Mentoring Program next year. It will provide continued on-the-job training for caseworkers.
Monroe County CPS will partner with an ad agency to develop a job recruiting and retention marketing campaign…and a Staff Development Coordinator will be named to head the recruitment and job retention efforts.