A good start is what one Pittsfield lawmaker is calling Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker’s reforms to the embattled Department of Children and Families. Among the initiatives the governor announced Monday are plans to reduce caseloads for social workers and hiring, as well as retaining staff. Representative Tricia Farley-Bouvier says those issues are at the root of DCF’s problems.
“While more kids are being screened in because there are so many more needy families and social workers are leaving, those caseloads are rising,” Farley-Bouvier says. “As long as that is happening, as long as those caseloads are so high, we’re going to continue to have problems at DCF.”
DCF has been under fire over the last couple years after high-profile cases of abuse and murder of children under the agency’s care.