Child protective services failing duty, auditor says

By Lynda Arakawa and Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writers

MARION HIGA

State Auditor Marion Higa yesterday blasted the state's child protective services system, saying that "significant problems" have persisted and that children are no better off than when she reviewed the agency four years ago.

"Currently, deficiencies in supervision, decision-making and communication cause children to remain at risk of abuse or neglect and increase the state's risk of liability," Higa said in a follow-up audit of the state Child Welfare Services Branch.

And despite efforts by the Department of Human Services to improve efforts to protect children, many of the problems identified in 1999 continue today, she said.

Department of Human Services director Lillian Koller, who was appointed in January, said she had questions about the methods used in the audit but that "there were no surprises." She said it was difficult to say if children were better or worse off because confidentiality rules in Higa's office prevented the release of comparative data from both audits.

"If they are not going to share that data, they can say anything they want," she said.

But Koller added that her staff will use this input to make changes.

"I am willing to take on faith, frankly, that there is validity in her conclusions," Koller said. "It is important not to quibble. There is no value in doing that."

Gov. Linda Lingle noted the value of such audits, saying they gave departments an opportunity to improve, but also took issue with Higa's style, which the governor said uses "inflammatory language."

Higa could not be reached for comment yesterday.

In her January 1999 audit, Higa noted that the human services department did not have sufficient management controls to ensure all reports of abuse were investigated. She also said communication among the department's Child Welfare Services Branch, police and court officials was "ineffective."

The current audit found that the state's child abuse and neglect database "remains unreliable," resulting in inaccurate and incomplete information for decision makers overseeing the fate of children. The audit also found that social workers are not adequately supervised, putting children at risk of harm.

The problem is the lack or disregard of department management controls, yesterday's audit said. The audit concluded through interviews with the department staff and a review of the department's quality assurance reports that administrators and supervisors were "unclear and skeptical about management controls."

Higa also noted in the audit that the child welfare services branch staff is largely social workers whose role is to be compassionate.

"However, compassion alone is not enough," Higa said. "Compassion cannot ensure that the branch has fulfilled its responsibility to abused and neglected children. When the stakes are high, as they are in child protection, additional assurances must be provided to the community that every reasonable action is being taken to guard the safety of vulnerable children."

Enforcing management controls provide that assurance, she said.

Koller said in a letter to Higa that she agreed with the basic findings. But Koller also detailed what she felt were 25 separate errors, all of which are included in the 50-page audit.

Koller also said the follow-up audit "draws broad conclusions based on limited information."

"In some identified areas of concern, the audit reviewed as few as 10 cases out of over 7,000 active Child Welfare Services Branch cases," she said. "The conclusions drawn may be unreliable."

In the audit, Higa said that was not true, saying that samples were statewide and included up to 50 cases.

Lingle yesterday said Koller has suggested that the administration "take a hard look" at some other states that are releasing more information to the public about decisions made in child welfare cases. Doing so may result in more understanding by the public about the decisions, she said.

The governor also said that while she still sees the "potential value" in Higa's audits — which she had praised before taking office — "my impression right now is that there is a very adversarial relationship that's built up previously between the auditor's office and the operating departments.

"I can see it starting now because of the inflammatory style of writing of the auditor's office, the unwillingness to accept information, clarification, elaboration of points that are in her draft audit," Lingle said.

Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070 and Mike Gordon at 525-8012 or mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com.