Gov. Nathan Deal on Wednesday called for spending $27 million over three years to hire hundreds of new caseworkers for the state’s child welfare agency. The money would come from state and federal funds.
His announcement came as the agency announced that it was firing two child welfare supervisors responsible for overseeing the case of a 12-year-old Paulding boy, who authorities say was beaten to death. Eric Forbes died last month allegedly at the hands of his father, who is charged with murder.
The agency has come under fire for the handling of the Forbes case and of abuse reports involving 10-year-old Emani Moss of Gwinnett County, whose burned, emaciated body was found in a trash can earlier this month. Her father and step-mother have been charged with her murder.
An Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation revealed that deep flaws in the state’s child welfare system have left children at risk of abuse and neglect.
Under Deal’s proposal, the Division of Family and Children’s Services would hire 175 new child protective workers during each of the next three years, for a total of 525. That would represent a 25 percent increase in the number of caseworkers at the agency.
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