Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 3036, S.D. 1, entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to ensure the safety and well-being of all children who come into contact with the child protective services system.

More specifically, this measure requires the Department of Human Services to adopt child welfare social worker caseload standards and reclassifies child welfare social workers to achieve a two salary range upgrade.

Your Committee finds that one of the areas needing critical improvement in child welfare services is the social worker's contact with the family. Many disgruntled families have reported that they lack contact with their social worker, and some have stated that they only saw their social worker just before going into court. Unfortunately, our child protective services social workers are overburdened with too many cases. With manageable caseloads, the social workers can attend to each family in a timely manner. Furthermore, increasing their salary range will encourage more applicants to fill vacant positions and lower the high employee turnover rates.

Your Committee has amended this measure by delaying the effective date to July 1, 2030, to permit further discussion of the issues.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 3036, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3036, S.D. 2.