Despite coming under intense scrutiny, average caseloads at the city’s child welfare agency have climbed by 19 percent through the first half of the fiscal year, new city data shows.
The surge — to 11.0 cases per child protective worker compared to 9.2 per worker over the same period in 2015 — comes even as Mayor de Blasio insists that caseloads have declined with the infusion of more than $100 million for the agency.
“We’ve worked to reduce caseloads over the years,” de Blasio said as recently as Dec. 20. “Some of that started in the previous administration, we’ve deepened that.”
In fact, average caseloads at the Administration for Children’s Services have gone up every year under de Blasio, from 8.2 in fiscal year 2013 — including former Mayor Bloomberg’s last six months in office — to 10.6 in fiscal 2016, according to the 2016 Mayor’s Management Report.
The city’s fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30.
The latest data, out of the mayor’s Office of Operations, shows that figure is on pace to grow yet again in fiscal 2017.
“For years, I have been calling for ACS caseloads to be smaller, and for more training and supervision for caseworkers,” said Public Advocate Letitia James, who has been critical of City Hall’s oversight of the agency.
“Our most vulnerable children deserve better, and we must do everything in our power to protect them.”
Last week, the state’s Office of Children and Family Services appointed an independent monitor for ACS in the wake of a number of deaths of children who were known to the agency.
Friday is also the last day of ACS commissioner Gladys Carrion, who oversaw an agency that was the subject of three scathing reports in the past year — two by the city’s own Department of Investigation and another from Comptroller Scott Stringer.
City officials have previously noted that average workload is below the agency’s target of 12 cases per worker, which aligns with national best practices.
ACS officials didn’t respond to questions about the latest city data.
But DOI officials noted in a May 2016 report that even when caseload averages are below 12, the actual workload is often much higher.
In fiscal 2014, 19 percent of child protective workers at ACS had caseloads higher than 12, while that number grew to 28 percent of workers in fiscal 2015, according to DOI.
“Caseload is a key factor in whether a caseworker can carry out all basic casework practice as required,” the report noted. “A large caseload negatively impacts a caseworker’s ability to serve families effectively.”
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