What should leadership look like in Child Protective Services?
The CASA guardian ad Litem volunteer program motto is “For the Child”. The heart and soul of the CASA program is to give voice to the child in the institution of Child Protective Services (CPS).
Many of these children have suffered torture and life-threatening experiences in their birth homes. Most children reported to CPS have been abused for years.
The CASA program was meant to soften some of the harsh edges of CPS. A court system by nature, has hard edges and puts children into the machinery of a judicial system.
What does this mean to Leaders CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES in America?
Do we want management that values efficiency over outcomes or people that understand the value in providing services that increase the probability of long-term success of the child?
To make success happen for children requires people able to work within a rigid system but willing to test the boundaries of what your office can achieve for the children in this highly regulated and bureaucratic system.
These are children, not widgets and to achieve metrics that give signs of child success in the system is far more important than the metrics of efficiency of management and staff performance (current history). Management is often focused on building large numbers of case managers operating more like project managers over working social workers to get KPI’s (KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS) reflecting efficiency rather than long term child success.
2023 Investigative Report on MN Children Killed
by Caregivers While in (CPS)
Less is not more for children
in Child Protective Services
Recent reporting by KSTP, the Star Tribune and the (Safe Passage) Investigative Report on Children Murdered by Caregivers while in Child Protective Services suggest directors and administrators need to raise their level of performance and show they are “For the Child”.
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This article submitted by Former CASA Guardian Ad Litem Mike Tikkanen
All Adults Are the Protectors of All Children
INVISIBLECHILDREN – KARA (KIDS AT RISK ACTION
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