DYFS workers and reform
Some perspective
The headlines about the
embattled state Division of Youth and Family Services came one after
another in 2003: A child found dead in a Newark basement after DYFS
closed the case. Nine DYFS workers fired after four boys were found
starving in their adoptive home. Strong words from Gov. James E.
McGreevey. The resignation of Human Services Commissioner Gwendolyn
Harris. Never-ending calls for reform.
But here's something people should remember, something that often
gets lost in the headlines.
First: Nobody goes into social work looking to get rich. And second:
Nobody goes into social work wanting to see children suffer. People
generally go into this line of work for the noblest of reasons.
Consider recent comments by New York City social worker Trevor John,
who finds a great deal of reward in his unglamorous, difficult,
heart-wrenching job:
“I'm an agent for change — that's the gratification I get. I'm the
one who puts the first foot into that family's home. We're the first
responders when something goes wrong with children. Within three or four
weeks, you're engaged with that family and you begin to see change,” he
said.
That's why, undoubtedly, the vast majority of DYFS workers went into
that profession in the first place. They wanted to make a difference.
And often they do. Their successes don't make headlines.
But we suspect the vastness of the problem and the weight of the
bureaucracy can be pretty crushing. Morale at the agency, in the wake of
last year's failures and publicity, is reportedly at an all-time low.
We're not sure how to solve the problems at DYFS. Certainly,
caseworkers whose neglect or wrongdoing causes children to suffer should
be disciplined or fired. Reforms must be implemented, whatever it takes
— from structural changes to lighter caseloads to providing such
essentials as cell phones.
But somehow, reform must also accomplish this: The agency must revive
and nurture the spark that caused so many caseworkers to go into this
kind of work in the first place. They wanted to be an agent of change.
They wanted to make a positive difference in the lives of children.
That's something public officials — and the public — need to keep in
mind.
16 January 2004
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/columns/010204DYFSWORKERS.html
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