RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the Department of Human Services (department), through its Child Welfare Services Branch, provides protection to children at risk of abuse or neglect; and

WHEREAS, in January 1999, the State Auditor released an "Audit of the Child Protective Services System (Report No. 99-5)" criticizing the department's communication and decision-making processes which affect the children's safety and well-being; and

WHEREAS, because these are such sensitive issues, a follow-up audit was conducted (Report No. 03-12); and

WHEREAS, the recent report found that many of the deficiencies in 1999 continue today and that the problem stems from the disregard of department management controls; and

WHEREAS, the State's child abuse and neglect database remains unreliable, resulting in inaccurate, incomplete, and outdated case information; and

WHEREAS, the procedures manual requires that all case records be maintained in a timely manner, and that system updates, including expungement where necessary, be performed on a timely basis; and

WHEREAS, timely filing and database input are management controls for accurate case file and database maintenance; and

WHEREAS, failure to document case files impacts a database's reliability and may cause decision-makers to lack key information placing children, families, and the State at risk; and

WHEREAS, parents and caregivers need to be fully aware of their rights and responsibilities for providing care to children under the Child Protective Services System; and

WHEREAS, the responsibility for informing them of these rights and responsibilities should be primarily with Child Protective Services System and the Department of Human Services; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-Third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2005, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Department of Human Services ensure the timely updating of the child abuse and neglect database under the Child Protective Services System; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Department of Human Services properly provide information to parents and caregivers regarding their rights and responsibilities to children under the Child Protective Services System; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Human Services.

Report Title:

Child Protective Services