Without in-home family support, children at risk are truly uprooted

It was heartbreaking to read the Globe’s editorial concerning the high number of children who died in state custody last year (“The job at DCF is not done,’’ Editorial, Feb. 28). Even if the number were only one death, that would be too many, especially since many such tragedies can be prevented.

Since December 2013, there has been a 45 percent increase in the number of families entering the child welfare system in Massachusetts. More investment in intensive in-home family-support services can help ensure that children remain safe while parents learn the skills necessary to create healthy, nurturing homes. Social workers can act as the eyes and ears for the Commonwealth to detect and report situations where a child may be at risk.

Ultimately, removing a child from a family is traumatic for the child and expensive for the Commonwealth. If nothing is done to help the family, the child will not be able to return safely home, thus continuing the generational reliance on the child welfare system.

Department of Children and Families staff members often carry 18 or more cases at a time, while in-home family-support specialists usually work with only four to six families at a time.

We encourage DCF to invest more in these programs so that every child has the support needed to be safe and thrive.

Erin G. Bradley

Executive director

Matt Stone

Chairman

Children’s League of Massachusetts

Boston

Matt Stone is also executive director of Youth Villages for Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

In overburdened system, we should make better use of all supports

It’s admirable to remind us of the stories of children who rely upon the state for protection who have been abused, neglected, and, yes, are still dying (“The job at DCF is not done’’). However, to say the job is not done is severely understating the issue. The job will never be done unless we examine and work on the root causes of child abuse and neglect, which range from poverty to addiction to mental health issues to social justice challenges. In the meantime, progress cannot be measured alone by allocating more money to the Department of Children and Families and reducing social workers’ caseloads.

The public should know that myriad public and private programs exist that make a tremendous difference in making sure children do not slip through the cracks of a completely overburdened system. I have volunteered for Boston CASA for five years and serve on the board. As a court-appointed special advocate, in addition to providing the court with objective reports, I have witnessed firsthand the miracle of a permanent supportive relationship. Every child deserves an adult who will not let them down, no matter what.

It’s time to get bold and creative about child welfare reform. If each child who passed through DCF’s doors in 2016 had a court-appointed special advocate speaking up for them, imagine how different those statistics could be.

Anne Harvey Kilburn

West Roxbury