In response to a mandate from the state legislature, the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) selected WRMA to conduct a child welfare workload study that would provide the basis for recommendations regarding acceptable child welfare workload standards, the first under New York State law. The study involved collecting time log data from: case-carrying staff members in 10 local Departments of Social Services, the Administration for Children's Services in New York City, and, for the first time, a selection of voluntary contract agencies, which provide services to children and families under the jurisdiction of the participating public agencies. These data were combined with archival volume and duration data from the state's data warehouse, staffing survey data from the participating public and private agencies, and interview data regarding staffing needs from key informants in the public agencies. The study resulted in recommendations on manageable workloads for child protective services, foster care, and preventive services caseworkers to allow sufficient time for each worker to meet all requirements and allow for comprehensive services for children and families. WRMA partnered with the American Humane Association to conduct the study.
State of New York: Study of Child Welfare Workload Child Protective Services
