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CABARRUS COUNTY Department of Social Services Concord, North Carolina 28026-0668 Telephone: (704) 786-7141 ~ October 24, 1989 HEMO~ TO: M~ke County Ruff~n, Hanager · FROM: JSm Cook, 8octal Serv2ces SUBJECT: Proposal and Budget Rev2s~on Reques~ ~ Child Protective Services Staff I am writing to request that the Board of Commissioners consider the following proposal and budget revision request at its November 6 meeting. This proposal and budget revision request would utilize funds appropriated by the last session of the General Assembly to meet critical manpower needs in the area of Child Protective Services by reorganizing the Department's services program and by adding Protective Services staff. No additional appropriation of County funds is requested. County departments of social services have responsibility under State law for investigating reports that children are neglected or abused, for providing protection to children and for administering services to correct these situations wherever possible. Realizing that staff resources around the State have been completely inadequate to meet the need to protect children, the 1989 General Assembly appropriated $2.65 million for 89-90 and $3.59 million for 90-91 for additional staff for Child Protective Services at county departments of social services. Funding is allocated to counties on large part on the basis of each county's percentage of the total statewide reports of child abuse and neglect. Cabarrus County's initial allocation for 89-90 is $23,127. We project that a minimum of $31,365 will be available for 90-91. The past year has seen a dramatic increase in the number of reports received and · nvestigated here in Cabarrus County. From 87-88 to 88-89, the number of reports investigated in Cabarrus rose from 286 to 374, an increase of over 30%. During the past six months, the increase has been even more pronounced with the first quarter of 89-90 some 58% higher than the same period of 88-89. This pattern also seems to have stabilized at the current higher level during this past six months. This-increase in reports which must be- investigated is not peculiar to Cabarrus County. There have been large increases statewide attributable to national media attention, to several well-publicized cases in ~orth Carolina, and to changes in State policy whieb require complete investigations on many reports which were previously screened out. As of mid-October, 1989, the existing staff of five sociel workers responsible for Child Protective Services investigations and treatment had a total caseload of