A new report by the U.S .Department of Health and Human Services says Vermont’s not doing a very good job in handling child welfare cases.
The report says some cases of maltreatment are reported to the Vermont Department for Children and Families but not investigated, and that the department’s Family Services Division, which investigates abuse and neglect allegations, needs improvement in a vast majority of areas.
The review encompassed 64 cases handled by the Family Services Division between April 2006 and April 2007, including 31 cases in Burlington, 17 in Morrisville and 16 in Springfield.
Investigators interviewed case workers and other stakeholders in the federal government’s second review of family services.