The Director for the Department of Child Services says the agency has already started work on improving the work culture and hiring more supervisors. Those are two of about 20 recommendations included in a report released last week after an independent investigation into the agency.
Although DCS Director Terry Stigdon says it’s difficult to know specifics, she says increasing employee salaries is a top priority.
“It’s a significant issue for our workforce,” Stigdon says. “They want to be fairly compensated for the very challenging work that they do, and this is an opportunity for us to respond to that.”
Stigdon says she’s confident the agency can implement salary changes before the end of the year.
Gov. Eric Holcomb announced that $25 million dollars from the state’s surplus will go toward implementing the recommendations, including employee pay raises.
Stigdon says another important topic she plans to review is how the agency can address issues for foster parents. A couple people spoke about the foster system during a public meeting Monday night in Martinsville.
“They provide a safe loving environment for these children, so we have to make sure that they have the support and the resources that they need so they can continue to help support these children,” Stigdon says.
Other issues found in the report include too many children in foster care and a high rate of reported abuse and neglect.