1. National State Auditors Association
S O U T H C A R O L I N A G E N E R A L A S S E M B L Y
Legislative Audit Council
Independence, Reliability, Integrity
LAC
A Review of Child Welfare Services
at the Department of Social Services
October 2014
National State Auditors Association
June 2016

2. Child Welfare Services Provided by SCDSS
Assessment of Abuse and Neglect Reports
Family Preservation Services
Foster Care and Alternative Care
Adoption
Community-Based Services
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

3. Abuse and Neglect Investigations by Number of Children and Age
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

4. Primary Audit Findings
Inadequate caseworker qualifications, training, and pay.
Excessive caseloads.
Inadequate screenings, investigations, and out-of-home placements.
Unreliable child fatality data.
Non-competitive contracts.
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

5. Inadequate Minimum Caseworker Qualifications
No requirement of a degree in social work or a behavioral science.
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

6. Lack of Structure in the Training and Certification Process
Unclear policies on who was required to be trained and certified.
No central training records on who was required to be trained and certified.
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

7. Low Caseworker Salaries
Caseworker salaries were less than salaries paid by other employers, making it difficult to recruit and retain staff.
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

8. Entry-Level Salaries for Caseworkers In Other Organizations
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

9. S.C. Legislative Audit Council
Excessive Caseloads
For 27% of caseworkers, caseloads exceeded CWLA maximum standards by 50% or more.
For 9% of caseworkers, caseloads exceeded CWLA maximum standards by 100% or more.
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

10. Inequitable Caseloads
In 8 counties, no caseworkers had caseloads that exceeded CWLA maximum standards.
In 5 counties, more than 80% of the caseworkers had caseloads that exceeded CWLA maximum standards.
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

11. Lengthy Hiring Process
On average it took SCDSS 4 ½ months to hire a new caseworker and an additional 4 ½ months for certification.
These delays increase the caseloads of the remaining overworked staff and can contribute to further resignations.
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

12. Delayed SCDSS Response to Reports of Abuse and Neglect
Nearly one in four children were not seen by a caseworker within 24 hours of a report, as required by agency policy.
By county, the percentage of children not seen within 24 hours ranged from 3% to 39%.
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

13. Community-Based Prevention Services (CBPS)
Beginning in FY 11-12, any parent reported to have abused or neglected a child could be offered community-based services instead of an investigation if there was no substantial risk of harm to the child.
This program, however, has placed children at greater risk.
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

14. CBPS Has Resulted in Fewer Investigations of Abuse and Neglect
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

15. S.C. Legislative Audit Council
Increase in Number of Children Who Became Victims of Abuse or Neglect After Being Screened Out or Referred to CBPS in the Previous 12 Months
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

16. Alternative Care Instead of Foster Care
State law authorizes the removal of a child from her home when there is probable cause to believe that she is in imminent and substantial danger.
The child is placed in foster care or in alternative care with a relative or another person known to the family.
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

17. Less Oversight When a Child is Placed in Alternative Care
Foster home placement is followed by a probable cause hearing, a court-ordered placement plan, a guardian ad litem, and central SCDSS tracking.
Alternative care placement includes none of these protections.
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

18. National Data on Maltreatment Fatalities Understated
In 2011, the GAO reported federal child fatality data is likely understated.
No standardized definition of maltreatment.
Child deaths due to neglect are often difficult to detect.
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

19. S.C. Legislative Audit Council
South Carolina Data on Maltreatment Fatalities Inconsistent and Understated
Inconsistent state child fatality data.
104 fatalities were not reported by county coroners to state law enforcement. 48 fatalities were reported but not transcribed.
Fatalities resulting from DUI by parents were not reported as maltreatment deaths.
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

20. Non-Competitive Contracts With State Universities
SCDSS entered into non-competitive contracts totaling $71 million with two state universities for training, technical assistance, and quality assurance.
Procurements between state agencies are exempt from South Carolina’s procurement code.
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

21. Lack of Root Cause Analysis by SCDSS When Addressing Underperformance
SCDSS focused more on measuring underperformance than on identifying the root causes of underperformance.
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

22. S.C. Legislative Audit Council
Media Coverage
The following articles show extensive media coverage of the shortcomings in South Carolina’s child welfare services program. To read the complete stories,
see news outlet websites.
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

23. S.C. Legislative Audit Council
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

24. S.C. Legislative Audit Council
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

25. S.C. Legislative Audit Council
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

26. S.C. Legislative Audit Council
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

27. S.C. Legislative Audit Council
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

28. S.C. Legislative Audit Council
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council

29. S.C. Legislative Audit Council
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S.C. Legislative Audit Council

30. S.C. Legislative Audit Council
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S.C. Legislative Audit Council

31. S.C. Legislative Audit Council
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S.C. Legislative Audit Council

32. S.C. Legislative Audit Council
June 2016
S.C. Legislative Audit Council