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2 <br />For the one-half year beginning January 1, 1998, the NC Division of <br />Social Services has awazded Orange County $195,312 to hire seven <br />additional staff in Child Protective Services. For Fiscal Year 1998-99, <br />the NC Division of Social Services has allocated $390,624 for these <br />positions. <br />Orange County Social Services staff have conducted an analysis of <br />caseloads and supervisor/worker ratios. Based on this, Social Services <br />has determined that the State staffing standazds could best be met by <br />adding five new Child Protective Services Social Worker positions at <br />Salary Grade 70 ($32,303 - $51,365) and two Child Protective Services <br />Supervisor positions at Salary Grade 72 ($35,615 - $56,630). <br />In addition to meeting the State standards, these positions will enable to <br />Orange County Social Services to provide the oversight that is critical for <br />decision making and the effective provision of protective services to <br />children and families. The specific outcomes to be achieved with these <br />additional positions include the following: <br />• 100 percent of the children reported as abused or neglected will be <br />seen within the statutory time frames (24 hours for abuse and 72 <br />hours for neglect). <br />• 100 percent of the children found to be abused or neglected will have <br />protection plans to insure their safety <br />• 100 percent of children found to be abused will receive intense <br />monitoring of their protection plan, ranging from daily to weekly as <br />necessary <br />• The number of children currently in Social Services custody over 12 <br />months will be reduced by 25 percent. <br />• All children residing in a home where one child has been reported <br />abused will be assessed for signs of abuse and will receive protective <br />services <br />- Also in 1997, the NC General Assembly enacted several significant <br />- changes in child abuse and neglect legislation which will have a <br />significant impact on workload. The attachment notes a few of these <br />changes. In addition, President Clinton has signed "The Adoption and <br />Safe Families Act of 1997." The State currently is determining what <br />changes in North Cazolina statutes will be required to comply with the <br />new Federal law. Cleazly, there is increased local, state, and national <br />focus on the protection of children and the responsibility to provide <br />children a permanent home. <br />