Does Philly's Overhauled Child Welfare System Make The Grade?
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The overhaul of Philadelphia's child welfare system, several years ago, was fraught with problems, but a report due out Thursday says the system can work with some improvements.
The shift of child welfare cases from city social workers to Community Umbrella Agencies or CUAs, coming just as child abuse reporting requirements increased, created a backlog in the system that left thousands of children in limbo. But recent improvements have stabilized the system and the report says the CUA model is right for the city, though it will recommend some immediate and some longer-term strategies to make it work better.
The report comes as the city releases the first CUA scorecard, grading each of the ten agencies in areas such as safety assessments and moving children to permanent placements.
Some do poorly in every area. Only two get the highest rating -- and that's in only one area of practice each.