Lake County parents fear fallout from transfer of DPHHS caseworkers
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MISSION VALLEY — It has been eight years since the Hesses invited their first foster children into their home. Over the years, the Hesses have cared for children ranging from 3 months old to 7 years old. Now their home has grown by three, as mother Jamie Hess spends an afternoon reading to her adopted sons Damien, 5, and Baylin, 4. Her oldest son Dylan, 7, does his math homework at the family table.
In between tales about the adventures of Batman and Robin, Hess gets up from the couch to comfort the youngest addition of the family, an infant foster child, who had been fighting off sleep before succumbing to a nap on his blanket.
“I had been a teacher and I liked being around kids,” Hess shared of her interest in becoming a foster parent and eventually an adoptive mother.
But even though Hess was used to instructing children, caring for a foster child brought a whole new and sometimes confusing area to chart. She said she often stopped by the Division of Public Health and Human Services’ Child and Family Services office in Polson, especially during those early years.
“There’s so many nuances to foster care with everything from court cases to treatment workers to family members,” Hess explained. “You are just like, ‘Who, when, where, what do I do?’”
But starting May 1, Hess fears a restructuring in the DPPHS Child and Family Services Division office in Polson may affect a feeling of comfort and a source of information for many foster parents in the area.
Though the office is not closing, the plan calls for four Polson-based Child and Family Services Division employees to transfer to offices in either Missoula or Kalispell. The employees were given the choice where they wanted to transfer. So far, two have picked Missoula and one Kalispell. One of the positions is currently vacant but will be assigned to Kalispell when filled. These four employees are expected to continue to carry their current caseloads in Lake County and report, at times, directly to the Polson office to complete work on active cases or assigned reports.
According to Regional Administrator Nikki Grossberg the original idea to have a single Family Resource Specialist in the office once a week has increased to two. Grossberg explained that the Family Resource Specialist is specifically for supporting foster parents. There will also be a caseworker in the office once a week. Two CFSD employees who do not provide direct service to children and families staff the office.
According to DPPHS the reason for the change is to address the need for additional resources in Missoula and Kalispell offices. A news release from the department said, “Our plan is to do our best so that Lake County families don’t notice a difference. We do not see this adversely affecting them.”
“There are currently 20 kids in care (in Lake County), which means we have legal custody,” said Grossberg, adding that there are 136 open cases in Missoula and 100 in Kalispell.
Grossberg said the move was made in order to efficiently utilize staff and stretch resources to more families in Western Montana.
But some in the area are not convinced the change is going to benefit families and children in this area.
“I know they are using semantics; the office isn’t closing, but the two who will be there full-time are not there to answer your questions,” Hess said. “And a caseworker once a week … it’s going to be a disservice not just to foster parents but (to) birth parents. (Birth parents) stop by the office just as much as foster parents. That’s a big thing.”
Hess said she spoke with a birth parent who called to tell her they were moving back to the area. When Hess informed them of the changes taking place at the end of this month, the parent was in shock.
“These caseworkers are awesome at fostering relationships (with foster families and birth families), Hess added.
Janene Lichtenburg has been a foster parent for three years. Lichtenberg said when she was first licensed as a foster parent she stopped by the Polson office on a daily basis.
“I do think having an office staffed locally gives foster parents and birth families a chance to talk about concerns,” Lichtenberg said. “That’s really valuable to be able to have somebody there.”
In addition to serving as a liaison or source of information, Lichtenberg explained that having caseworkers available on a daily basis aids a legal purpose as well.
“Sometimes a child comes home (from school) with a slip that needs to be signed by (the next day),” Lichtenberg said. “There are always different meetings at different times for different things. I don’t see communication ending, but I can’t see it at the level it was.”
“If a caseworker has 10 Kalispell cases and three in Lake County, where do you think they are going to spend the most time?” Hess questioned, adding that she feels a better solution is to give Lake County workers those Missoula and Kalispell cases but keep the caseworkers here. She also thinks there should be a caseworker in the office every day, even if it’s not the same one.
Grossberg stressed that to ensure a seamless transition, she will be in Lake County continuously meeting with stakeholders and attending child protection team and foster care review committee meetings over the next several months. DPPHS has stressed that the move is not motivated by money but is about workload.
“It’s being done to provide the best service to the most people,” DPPHS stated.
But Hess believes this service comes at a disservice to Lake County.
“How does removing workers from Lake County keep children safe and families strong? … To protect Missoula and Kalispell, they are flooding Lake County,” Hess said.
