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wiedmaier t1_j9pcosx wrote

As a burned out CPS Investigator, this could be a lot worse than you think.

All CPS organizations are on a state level, so there are 50 different ways of doing things, but as I understand it, my state is pretty common.

Our model is designed to churn through social workers because it’s a prestigious job in Social Work, but it’s a nightmare to actually do. Instead of having support, enough staffing for manageable caseloads, and a quality workforce, it’s a lot easier to just churn through social workers.

The average entire career of a CPS Social Worker in my state is 9 months. I learned this from my state’s #2 position at DCYF. They’re well aware this is the model. I was the most senior member of my unit after 6 months on the job.

95% of our calls are bullshit; usually just a crazy misunderstanding, but often someone with a grudge calls in something stupidly too. The 5% where we have a safety threat takes up 75% of the job.

Allllllllll those unwanted babies could easily break the entire system. The courts are going to get slammed with dependency cases. Social Workers are going to get churned through at an insane rate.

We’ve been neglecting the safety net for a long time. A LOT of babies are going to fall right through.

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mymar101 t1_j9pgsqt wrote

Nobody is prepared for this. I doubt red states will do anything to help either sadly.

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BrownEggs93 t1_j9phl7y wrote

Vote for more of it, I think. Let's wait and see.

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techleopard t1_j9pvitp wrote

I suspect a lot of babies are going to end up in public bathrooms where there aren't any cameras.

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TaliesinMerlin t1_j9q5oku wrote

It makes me think of the picture of a kid during Lyndon B. Johnson's "war on poverty" (Life). This kind of poverty never went away, but retrograde anti-abortion policies are set to make it even more common.

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Boneal171 t1_j9q9xfh wrote

I’m in school to be a social worker. I want to work with kids, but I couldn’t handle CPS. I feel overwhelmed just reading this article

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Zadsta t1_j9qkrhs wrote

I have a friend who is a school counselor at a school for “poorly behaved” kids. 90% of the time they’re “poorly behaved” because their home life is shit. She absolutely loves her job and has helped kids who otherwise would never graduate get their diplomas. She got her masters in social work or something similar, but that’s an option too to help disadvantaged kids.

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Boneal171 t1_j9quqem wrote

Exactly. Kids act out because of their home life

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