This was the result of a group project completed for the Family Policy (6130) Course at UGA. The assignment instructions were to choose a topic and create a policy brief using research, data, and the family impact analysis to present the selected issue. Three of my fellow classmates and I completed this project and presented it to the class. The sections I singly developed include: "What's the Issue?," "Background," and "References."

1. IMPROVING SOCIAL WORKER
ACCOUNTABILITY
I N A S S E S S I N G C H I L D R I S K S
what's the issue?
Ensuring children are safe from maltreatment in Georgia begins with social workers within the Georgia
Department of Child and Family Services (DFCS). When reports of child maltreatment are made, a social worker is
required to make a visit to the home in which the allegation was made in order to assess the situation and
determine whether or not the child is being maltreated or is at risk of being maltreated. The problem in these
initial risk assessment visits lies in the accountability of social workers in evaluating the risks to the child. Many of
these initial home visits result in a flawed or erroneous evaluation by case workers, which can (and have) resulted
in further maltreatment of children, lack of services to the family, and even fatalities (1). Specific measures should
be taken to improve social worker accountability in how these case workers are evaluating the risks or potential
risks to a child. these measures should include an increase of retention rates within social service agencies as
well as providing more extensive training and a decrease in caseload per caseworker.
Many factors can be considered when making sense of social workers’ erroneous evaluations in the initial risk
assessment visit. In 1975, a need for early assessment of a child’s situation was recognized along with an increased
push for a child to remain with their “natural family” (6). Around that time, it also became evident that social workers,
in their attempts to protect a child, were required to devote many hours of their time in their efforts to fully protect
a child (6). A study in 1980 found extremely high staff turnover rates within agencies that employed social workers,
accompanied by a high dissatisfaction rate in the job (5). Much of this turnover rate had to do with complaints of too
much paperwork and the immense level of responsibility placed on each social worker (5). Since then, efforts have
been made to decrease turnover rate and lighten the burden placed on case workers, to include hiring a great deal
of child welfare case workers as well as increasing the salary of case workers (7). Even with these additions, a
significant amount of stress is placed on social workers to evaluate a situation and try to predict what might
happen next, when there could be little context and a limited amount of time for a case worker to make these
decisions (3). The majority of Georgia case workers still take on multiple parts of a case in addition to their
requirements of report-writing and keeping detailed records, which reduces their ability to effectively serve
families (1)(4). Recent studies have shown that these burdens could limit the frequency of which home visits are
made as well as the amount of` correct evaluations of situations or truthful report-writing (3)(4). Making an incorrect
evaluation of a reported situation places the child in danger of further maltreatment, which has negative, long-term
implications for a child and their family. If the child is truly not at risk but the family needs services to better support
them, an incorrect assessment of a risky situation could put the family at risk of experiencing a crisis.
Background From the Georgia Department of Human Services (1)
Definition: CASELOAD
the number of cases assigned to a case
worker within a certain time period (9).
After the initial risk assessment visit, case
workers are required to keep detailed
documents of each of their cases and
regularly check in with the individuals
involved in their case.

2. Help the Children!
ORGANIZATION POSITION
We are an organization focused on ensuring the
safety of all children in Georgia. Our organization
works tirelessly to advocate for children to be
treated with respect. We push for Georgia
policies that will move to eradicate child neglect
and abuse in Georgia. We believe that it is the
government’s job to protect its citizens. In the
past, our government has failed in protecting
children. The government organization that is
specifically interested in protecting Georgian
children is the Department of Family and Child
Services. DFCS needs further reform to protect
Georgia’s children to guarantee that every child
is taken care of and feels safe.
-Concerned Georgians for Child Welfare
Needs Determined
From Family Impact
Analysis
Increase support for families in the
aspects of cost of living and time
management
Make more preventative care
resources available to families
such as parenting classes, and
more relational resources
accessible such as counseling
Increase retention rates among
DFCS employees to ensure child
welfare case workers are providing
long-term support and check-ins
for family well-being
Increase familial placements to
promote a stronger sense of
community within families and
society
Decrease caseload per caseworker
in order to increase effectiveness in
serving families
CURRENT
POLICY
What is....?
From the Georgia Department of Human Services (1)
From the Georgia Department of Human Services (1)

3. Help the Children!
DISCUSSION
After conducting a family impact analysis, it is evident
that some changes need to take place within child
protection agencies in the state of Georgia. Current
programs and policies do not completely support
family responsibility or family stability, especially in
the areas of helping families prevent crises, manage
time commitments, and strengthening family
resilience. Some differences that exist between our
analysis and the background of the issue is that the
state of Georgia is currently developing and
implementing a statewide public relations campaign
(8), which is something that wasn't addressed
previously in Georgia. The plan includes "organizing
communities throughout the state to support the
child welfare system goals and staff" and also help
educate others on the system (8). Region 1
(Northwest Georgia), Region 5 (Athens area), Region
12 (Savannah area) and Region 7 (Augusta area) have
all created a blueprint for change (8). The
background of the issue provides an overview
summarizing the recognition of a need for higher
retention rates as well as more effective methods in
home visits. Currently, the Department of Family and
Child Services in Georgia is working towards
improving both of these things. We recognized a
need for helping families maintain regular routines
and avoid crises in improving social worker
accountability, and Georgia is currently implementing
policy to support this.
Recommendations for Action
Together with Nathan Deal, the Child Welfare Reform Council (CWRC) has come up with
action items that will lead to further reform within DFCS. One of the main issues within DFCS
is that caseworkers have too large of caseload. When caseworkers have too many cases,
children fall through the cracks. Caseworkers average 19.5 cases per one caseworker (8). The
CWRC recommends there be at the most 15:1 cases per caseworker (8). We support this
recommendation and also recommend working with the Department of Human Services
(DHS) more by sharing information about children and families’ histories in efforts to track and
protect children in unstable and model families. This recommendation could be fulfilled by
requiring all Child Protective Service agencies to share information on a national database.
Definition: Child Maltreatment
In Georgia, child maltreatment
includes (and defines by law)
physical abuse, neglect, sexual abuse,
and parental drug use as child abuse.
Defined by O.C.G.A § 19-7-5:
- Physical abuse is any physical
injury or death to a child (under 18)
by a caregiver other than by
accidental means (11)(12)
- Child Neglect is the failure of the
caregiver to make sure child (under
18) is property housed, clothed, fed,
and supervised is considered neglect.
(11)(12)
-Child Sexual Abuse is use of a child
(under 18) by a parent or other adult
for sexual gratification is considered
sexual abuse. (11)(12)

4. Help the Children!
REFERENCES
1 U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on
Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. (2016). Child maltreatment 2014. Available from
http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/research-data-technology/statistics-research/child-maltreatment
2 Huie, R. (1999). Task Force Appointed to Study Child Protective Services. M. Louise McBee Papers, Richard B.
Russell Library for Political Research and Studies (Box I.4, Folder 43), University of Georgia Libraries, Athens,
Georgia, 30602-1641.
3 Roets, G., Roose, R., De Wilde, L., & Vanobbergen, B. (2017). Framing the ‘child at risk’ in social work reports:
Truth-telling or storytelling?. Journal Of Social Work, 17(4), 453-469. doi:10.1177/1468017316644864
4 Ferguson, H. (2018). Making home visits: Creativity and the embodied practices of home visiting in social work
and child protection. Qualitative Social Work, 17(1), 65. doi:10.1177/1473325016656751
5 Weatherly, R., Kottwitz, C.B., Lishner. D., Reid, K., Roset, G. & Wong, K. (1980). Accountability of Social Service
Workers at the Front Line. Social Service Review, (4), 556.
6 The Georgia Plan for Children Report. (1975). Beverly Benson Long Papers (Box 1, Folder 4), Richard B. Russell
Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.
7 Georgia Department of Human Services (2017). Division of Family and Children Services Fact Book. Retrieved
from
https://dfcs.georgia.gov/sites/dfcs.georgia.gov/files/DHS%20Quick%20Facts%20Book%20SFY%202017DFCS
.pdf
8 Department of Family and Children Services (2015). Child Welfare Reform [PDF document]. Retrieved from
https://gov.georgia.gov/meeting-materials
9 Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2016). Caseload and workload management. Washington, DC: U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau.
10 https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/systemwide/laws-policies/state/?
CWIGFunctionsaction=statestatutes:main.getResults
11 Mandated Reporting. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://oca.georgia.gov/mandated-reporting
12 Georgia Child Abuse Laws (2018). Retrieved from statelaws.findlaw.com/georgia-law/georgia-child-abuse-
laws.htmlf