small business

FUNDING. THATS RIGHT. SASHA CYFD IS ASKING FOR OVER $400 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT A 6% INCREASE AT A RECENT LEGISLATIVE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING. AND WHILE THEY SAY RETENTION IS THE MAIN PROBLEM, A LEGISLATOR I SPOKE TO SAYS THEY HAVE OTHER IDEAS. THERE ARE OVER 2000 KIDS IN THE STATES CARE. HOWEVER, THE DEPARTMENT SAYS THEY ONLY HAVE A LITTLE OVER 1000 FOSTER HOMES IN NEED. THEYRE TRYING TO FILL LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT FOSTER FAMILIES, THE FOSTER FAMILY THAT CAN REALLY TAKE EACH INDIVIDUAL CHILD AND MEET THEIR NEEDS. AND YOU CANT REALLY PUT A NUMBER ON THAT. BESIDES FOSTER HOMES, CASADO SAYS, THEYRE ALSO UNDERSTAFFED. NOW, ONE WAY SHE PLANS TO KEEP EMPLOYEES IS THROUGH MORE TRAINING. SO MANY OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE OUT THERE DOING THAT WORK, AND TRUST ME, IT IS REALLY DIFFICULT WORK TO DO. FELT THEY WERENT PREPARED FOR WHAT THEY WERE SEEING. AND SO IF WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF TRAINING THEM AND PREPARING THEM, YOU KNOW, WE WONT SEE AS MUCH TURNOVER. THE DEPARTMENT HAS 638 VACANCIES AND ALMOST 2300 FULL TIME EQUIVALENT POSITIONS. ANTOINETTE TAFT, A FOSTER MOM, SAYS SINCE 2017, SHES FOSTERED ABOUT 30 KIDS. BUT ONE THING SHES NOTICED IS THE CHALLENGES OF KEEPING STAFF. THEM NOT HAVING ENOUGH EMPLOYEES TO MAINTAIN THE HOMES THAT THEY HAVE. I HAVE BEEN THROUGH SEVERAL CASEWORKERS, SEVERAL PLACEMENT WORKERS, SEVERAL ATTORNEYS, SEVERAL. THEY JUST CANT KEEP ANYBODY THERE. NEWLY APPOINTED HOUSE LEADER GAIL ARMSTRONG SAYS A GREAT START TO FIX. CYFD IS LOOKING AT ACCOUNTABILITY IN HOW CASES ARE INVESTIGATED AND THE CARE ACT, A LAW THAT DEVELOPS PLANS OF CARE FOR BABIES EXPOSED TO DRUGS BY OFFERING HELP OR TREATMENT TO THE FAMILIES. IF ITS REACHING THOSE FAMILIES SOONER THAN WE DO, AND NOT WAITING UNTIL THEYVE GIVEN BIRTH TO THEN TRY TO IMPLEMENT A PLAN. I REALLY BELIEVE THAT IF WE PUT A SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT REACHES THEM SOONER A