Court monitor warns about lack of funding for DCF

HARTFORD, Conn. – The state’s fiscal condition has led to increased caseloads that have overwhelmed social workers at the state’s child welfare agency, according to a court monitor’s report.

“Insufficient staffing” has led to an “overwhelming workload issue” for social workers, Raymond Mancuso, who monitors the Department of Children and Families’ compliance with a federal court order, said Tuesday.

In his report to a federal court judge, Mancuso said the department is about 100 social workers short of what it needs to meet the minimum requirements.

“In many cases, it is difficult if not unconscionable to hold staff accountable for perceived errors in case management when workloads are clearly excessive and unmanageable,” Mancuso wrote in his report.

See the complete story at CT News Junkie.