Child Care, Effort is Multipronged

http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/52220327.html
Your Day
Posted Aug. 2, 2009

CHILD CARE
Effort is multipronged
I was pleased to see the July 26 editorial "Keeping children safe has to be the priority" reminding Milwaukee of the importance of keeping children safe and the recognition of recent accomplishments of the state Department of Children and Families (Reggie Bicha's "Another View" http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/51616002.html).

The state budget reflects an increased investment in our most vulnerable population, and the Journal Sentinel's continued attention to the topic will help to bring needed change. The Planning Council for Health and Human Services, author of the study released in May and referred to in the article, is pleased to see fiscal and programmatic changes that address the identified needs.

The press and the bureaucracy play key roles. However, as the source of this study and the community conversation that followed, we also would like to emphasize that assuring child safety will take more than a year and more than the efforts of a state department.

Several other needed strategies have been identified including: shared medical records; concentrated and focused effort on those most susceptible; linking to community resources including family support programs, medical clinics, community organizations, neighborhood centers and the faith-based community; and the candid recognition of the influence of race and poverty in these cases. These will need to be addressed by multiple sources over the long haul to make Milwaukee a leader in keeping children safe.

Kathleen Pritchard, Executive Director
Planning Council for Health and Human Services, Inc.

2008 Annual Report: Office of the Milwaukee Ombudsman for Child Welfare

Did you know that…

• Milwaukee County is the only county in Wisconsin that has a completely independent office for reviewing complaints relating to child welfare?
• The Ombudsman Office’s services are free?

The Office of the Milwaukee Ombudsman for Child Welfare (Ombudsman Office) released its 2008 Annual Report today. The Ombudsman Office is a neutral, independent office that reviews case-specific concerns regarding the safety, permanence, and well-being of children and families involved with the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare. By clicking on the link above you can learn what key areas were identified for improvement, associated recommendations, as well as details on all contacts made to the Ombudsman Office in 2008, or click here to view the Executive Summary.

For more information about the Ombudsman Office, go to http://ombudsmanmilw.org/default.htm.