Wex Wimpy
September 2nd 03, 05:12 PM
DCF boss struggling to dent child woes
By Kathleen Chapman, Palm Beach Post Staf
Writer Saturday, August 30, 2003
A year after Jerry Regier promised to end the crisis at the Department
of Children and Families, children are still dying, runaways are still
missing and workers are still quitting.
Some say Regier has made little, if any, tangible progress since he
took over. They point to troubling statistics:
• At least 14 children known to DCF have died from abuse or neglect
since Sept. 3, the day Regier started work.
• Nine percent of children were abused or neglected again after DCF
intervened between July 1, 2002, and March 2003, more than during any
of the previous four years.
• There are more missing children: 495 runaways and abducted children
in late July, compared with 393 last August.
• The turnover rate for caseworkers remains high: 40 percent between
July 2002 and 2003, compared with 30 percent two years ago. The
turnover rate for child abuse investigators is even higher.
In an interview this month, Regier, the department's secretary,
acknowledged that problems remain at DCF, but stressed major
accomplishments.
His constant lobbying of legislative leaders paid off with more
positions and raises ranging from about $3,000 to $7,000 a worker.
He marshaled money, extra workers and even volunteers to close a glut
of child abuse investigations that had been open longer than 60 days.
Especially in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, audits showed
children were at risk in many of those cases, Regier said.
But those problems were solved quickly and children are safer, he
said.
Regier said he has a few "minor regrets."
He would like to have filled vacancies across the state faster than he
did. He still hopes to strengthen DCF's relationship with the media.
And his focus on child abuse prevention has not yet stopped children
from pouring into the state system, draining resources and
overwhelming workers. Next year, he said, he will focus on reducing
the number of children in state care by 25 percent.
Some critics appeased
When Gov. Jeb Bush appointed Regier last year, liberals howled in
outrage at the Christian conservative's past writings on his beliefs
that fathers should spank their children and keep their wives at home.
The Democratic candidate for governor campaigned on a promise to send
him back to his native Oklahoma. Newspapers called for his removal.
He has eased fears of some critics, who give him credit for personal
courage, good intentions and the right priorities. But others are
still wary that his religious zeal distracts him from more pressing
issues at DCF.
Some have criticized him for pushing to appoint a guardian for the
fetus of J. D. S., a profoundly disabled woman raped in an Orlando
group home. J. D. S. did not have a guardian herself when she was
raped.
Regier also has instituted a character training program for employees
in central Florida, developed by conservative Christian evangelist
Bill Gothard. The Character First! program teaches 49 qualities some
say are taken directly from Gothard's "Commands of Christ." Regier
intended it to boost morale, but some thought his time would have been
better spent on helping caseworkers reach a manageable workload.
Some employees were insulted by the character training, which they
said resembles programs for children with its platitudes and cartoon
animals.
"They are overwhelmed and they have positions still unfilled and the
secretary... is focusing time and effort in hiring someone to develop
these training programs rather than filling the positions so their
day-to-day workload is less," said Gerard Glynn, executive director of
the Florida's Children First! advocacy group.
Regier also is serving a key role in Bush's marriage initiative.
Though details of Florida's plan have not been released, a similar
program Regier helped develop in Oklahoma has been criticized for
instructing couples with Christian teachings.
Regier's relationship with the media also has been shaky. He came into
the job in the fall, pledging a new spirit of openness. But then
public information officer Yvonne Vassel lost her job in Orlando, she
says because she contradicted the party line on abortion, allowing a
DCF lawyer to tell a reporter that a Supreme Court decision prohibited
the appointment of a guardian for a fetus.
Regier countered that Vassel's job had been scheduled to be eliminated
because of budget concerns. "That wasn't connected to J. D. S.," he
said.
But now local information officers are allowed to handle only feature
stories. All questions that seem negative are routed through the
central office in Tallahassee.
Regier said he's not trying to control information, just to make sure
it's accurate and consistent. "DCF has a history of not getting its
story straight."
The reduction in the number of people who answer media questions was
to save money, not reduce access, he said.
One of the toughest jobs
Opinions about Regier typically break along party lines, reflecting
the bitter divisions in Florida politics.
"I see all these bar charts, telling us where the department wants to
go. But in terms of hard data, I think we still have significant
problems," said Sen. Ron Klein, D-Delray Beach.
But Rep. Sandra Murman, R-Tampa, said she thinks he's done an
"outstanding" job. "He's focused and he knows what he has to do to
turn this department around," Murman said.
Glynn's feelings are mixed. Some incidents, such as the firing of six
employees from a welfare office in Hialeah because some allegedly were
rude to state Sen. Rudy Garcia's mother, have eroded the morale he was
trying to create.
Still, Glynn said he came in with the right message. "I wouldn't say
he's been a disappointment. It is probably one of, if not the, hardest
job in the world," Glynn said.
Regier said the torrent of criticism that welcomed him to Florida was
exceptional, even by the standards of a longtime public official.
"I've certainly been under scrutiny and in situations that are
difficult. That was pretty intense."
But he said it didn't shake his commitment to the state, or his strong
faith in his mission.
"I never once during that period doubted that I needed to be here," he
said.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/today/news_f305227ec64e119f002a.html
By Kathleen Chapman, Palm Beach Post Staf
Writer Saturday, August 30, 2003
A year after Jerry Regier promised to end the crisis at the Department
of Children and Families, children are still dying, runaways are still
missing and workers are still quitting.
Some say Regier has made little, if any, tangible progress since he
took over. They point to troubling statistics:
• At least 14 children known to DCF have died from abuse or neglect
since Sept. 3, the day Regier started work.
• Nine percent of children were abused or neglected again after DCF
intervened between July 1, 2002, and March 2003, more than during any
of the previous four years.
• There are more missing children: 495 runaways and abducted children
in late July, compared with 393 last August.
• The turnover rate for caseworkers remains high: 40 percent between
July 2002 and 2003, compared with 30 percent two years ago. The
turnover rate for child abuse investigators is even higher.
In an interview this month, Regier, the department's secretary,
acknowledged that problems remain at DCF, but stressed major
accomplishments.
His constant lobbying of legislative leaders paid off with more
positions and raises ranging from about $3,000 to $7,000 a worker.
He marshaled money, extra workers and even volunteers to close a glut
of child abuse investigations that had been open longer than 60 days.
Especially in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, audits showed
children were at risk in many of those cases, Regier said.
But those problems were solved quickly and children are safer, he
said.
Regier said he has a few "minor regrets."
He would like to have filled vacancies across the state faster than he
did. He still hopes to strengthen DCF's relationship with the media.
And his focus on child abuse prevention has not yet stopped children
from pouring into the state system, draining resources and
overwhelming workers. Next year, he said, he will focus on reducing
the number of children in state care by 25 percent.
Some critics appeased
When Gov. Jeb Bush appointed Regier last year, liberals howled in
outrage at the Christian conservative's past writings on his beliefs
that fathers should spank their children and keep their wives at home.
The Democratic candidate for governor campaigned on a promise to send
him back to his native Oklahoma. Newspapers called for his removal.
He has eased fears of some critics, who give him credit for personal
courage, good intentions and the right priorities. But others are
still wary that his religious zeal distracts him from more pressing
issues at DCF.
Some have criticized him for pushing to appoint a guardian for the
fetus of J. D. S., a profoundly disabled woman raped in an Orlando
group home. J. D. S. did not have a guardian herself when she was
raped.
Regier also has instituted a character training program for employees
in central Florida, developed by conservative Christian evangelist
Bill Gothard. The Character First! program teaches 49 qualities some
say are taken directly from Gothard's "Commands of Christ." Regier
intended it to boost morale, but some thought his time would have been
better spent on helping caseworkers reach a manageable workload.
Some employees were insulted by the character training, which they
said resembles programs for children with its platitudes and cartoon
animals.
"They are overwhelmed and they have positions still unfilled and the
secretary... is focusing time and effort in hiring someone to develop
these training programs rather than filling the positions so their
day-to-day workload is less," said Gerard Glynn, executive director of
the Florida's Children First! advocacy group.
Regier also is serving a key role in Bush's marriage initiative.
Though details of Florida's plan have not been released, a similar
program Regier helped develop in Oklahoma has been criticized for
instructing couples with Christian teachings.
Regier's relationship with the media also has been shaky. He came into
the job in the fall, pledging a new spirit of openness. But then
public information officer Yvonne Vassel lost her job in Orlando, she
says because she contradicted the party line on abortion, allowing a
DCF lawyer to tell a reporter that a Supreme Court decision prohibited
the appointment of a guardian for a fetus.
Regier countered that Vassel's job had been scheduled to be eliminated
because of budget concerns. "That wasn't connected to J. D. S.," he
said.
But now local information officers are allowed to handle only feature
stories. All questions that seem negative are routed through the
central office in Tallahassee.
Regier said he's not trying to control information, just to make sure
it's accurate and consistent. "DCF has a history of not getting its
story straight."
The reduction in the number of people who answer media questions was
to save money, not reduce access, he said.
One of the toughest jobs
Opinions about Regier typically break along party lines, reflecting
the bitter divisions in Florida politics.
"I see all these bar charts, telling us where the department wants to
go. But in terms of hard data, I think we still have significant
problems," said Sen. Ron Klein, D-Delray Beach.
But Rep. Sandra Murman, R-Tampa, said she thinks he's done an
"outstanding" job. "He's focused and he knows what he has to do to
turn this department around," Murman said.
Glynn's feelings are mixed. Some incidents, such as the firing of six
employees from a welfare office in Hialeah because some allegedly were
rude to state Sen. Rudy Garcia's mother, have eroded the morale he was
trying to create.
Still, Glynn said he came in with the right message. "I wouldn't say
he's been a disappointment. It is probably one of, if not the, hardest
job in the world," Glynn said.
Regier said the torrent of criticism that welcomed him to Florida was
exceptional, even by the standards of a longtime public official.
"I've certainly been under scrutiny and in situations that are
difficult. That was pretty intense."
But he said it didn't shake his commitment to the state, or his strong
faith in his mission.
"I never once during that period doubted that I needed to be here," he
said.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/content/auto/epaper/editions/today/news_f305227ec64e119f002a.html