Department of Youth Affairs director Melanie Brennan begins her assessment of what needs to be done to get Child Protective Services back on track. The governor late Friday declared CPS in a State of Emergency, moving its operations out of Public Health's jurisdiction over to DYA.

"Priority Number 1 really is referral management," said Brennan this morning on The Link. "Looking at the crisis intervention and ensuring that the referrals are acted upon and we are following the mandate of the law which is they must be investigated within 72 hours, that's very clear in the law."

Although today marks the first day for double-duty for the DYA director, she's still working on getting a clear picture on just how backlogged CPS is in investigating referrals. "I only know that in FY20 they received over 1,000 referrals and of course the referrals don't stop because of the pandemic so how many they addressed, how many they vetted I'm not quite sure," she said.

According to the Governor's declaration of a State of Emergency at CPS, "for too long cases went un-reviewed, and too many children did not get the help they needed by actively investigating and addressing the issues at this critical agency." The governor stating "we are safeguarding out children from any further harm". Brennan says an estimated 30 employees work at CPS, but not all are investigators or social workers. She will however detail some of her employees to help with the investigation of referrals. The DYA director however acknowledges the work of CPS employees, having been in their shoes in the past.

Brennan said, "There have been issues with recruitment of CPS workers for as long as I can remember even when I was a cps worker. The turnover rate is so high the work is so hard with an individual you bring that home. It's not just 8-5 - you bring home that stuff with you at the end of the night, and it can be grueling and very upsetting. So I understand the critical nature of CPS. I understand they have been overwhelmed for years, and the pandemic just brought about other challenges."

Brennan in the meantime is also asking the community to come forward if they are willing to help foster children.

"I know that CPS has always had trouble with placement; I want to put it out there that if anyone is interested in fostering a kid in need please call 475-2653. We need more foster homes we need more suitable placement for kids who are in crisis who are families in crisis," see encouraged.