FOSTER PROBLEM COSTING COUNTY.Byline: TROY ANDERSON Staff Writer Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County is paying up to $800,000 a month in federal penalties for not conducting timely inspections of some foster homes, the Board of Supervisors was told Tuesday. The revelation came a day after Department of Children and Family Services officials said only a fraction of a $369 million funding waiver to reform the county's child-protective system is available. On Monday, DCFS DCFS Department of Children and Family Services DCFS Division of Children and Family Services DCFS Descriptional Complexity of Formal Systems (conference) DCFS Data Communication & Functional System officials said a "misunderstanding" and increasing costs, salaries and benefits meant that only about $15 million a year would be available for services such as mental-health treatment and drug and alcohol rehabilitation rehabilitation: see physical therapy. for parents of children at risk of entering foster care. But officials said Tuesday that another factor has affected funding. "We have paid the price for this through federal penalties that are costing the county on average up to $800,000 per month for delayed reassessments, and the children we are responsible for have paid the price with their safety and, in certain cases, with their lives," Supervisor Don Knabe Donald R. Knabe (born October 15, 1943 in Illinois) is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, serving the Fourth District, a crescent shaped district that covers the coastline from Marina Del Rey southward to Long Beach, and southeastern Los Angeles County to said. "Simply put, this problem is costing the county money and is putting children at serious risk." DCFS Director Trish Ploehn said about half the county's foster children are living with relatives, and the department is required to annually assess the homes. But Ploehn said staffing shortages and other problems have limited timely inspections. "There has been a backlog that has developed of families not being reassessed," she said. The supervisors voted Tuesday to direct officials to come up with a plan to fix the problem, and Ploehn said she is developing a proposal to ensure that timely inspections are conducted. The county also has authorized au·thor·ize tr.v. au·thor·ized, au·thor·iz·ing, au·thor·iz·es 1. To grant authority or power to. 2. To give permission for; sanction: the DCFS to fill 35 positions to address the backlog, which Ploehn said has been caused by internal communication and procurement The fancy word for "purchasing." The procurement department within an organization manages all the major purchases. problems. An audit is under way. At the suggestion of Knabe and Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich Michael Dennis Antonovich (born 1939 in Los Angeles, California) is a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing the Fifth District, which covers northern Los Angeles County, the Antelope, Santa Clarita, Pasadena, and parts of the San Fernando and San , Ploehn said she would investigate whether the DCFS should hire a private firm to do the inspections. troy.anderson(at)dailynews.com (213) 974-8985 |
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