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War funding bill may save DCS workers
A war funding bill signed into law Monday could allow about 160 Department of Children’s Services employees to keep their jobs, but the Bredesen administration doesn’t yet know its full impact.
While providing funding for troops abroad among other items, the $162 billion bill President George W. Bush signed into law Monday also imposed a temporary moratorium on six Medicaid rule changes.
One of those changes — implemented by the Bush administration in March — had caused Tennessee to lose $73 million for DCS’ targeted case managers, or social workers. Currently, about 30,000 children undergo targeted case management.
To keep services going, Gov. Phil Bredesen used TennCare reserve dollars to plug the funding gap until the end of the fiscal year. But unless Congress acted, Bredesen had said he would be forced to layoff about 160 DCS administrative employees starting today, the beginning of the state’s financial year.
The war-funding bill puts a moratorium on that rule change affecting DCS. The impact on DCS is not clear yet, however, said spokesman Rob Johnson, as the Bredesen administration is still figuring how they will proceed now that the change has been halted.
“While the temporary restoration of the federal targeted case management funds is certainly welcome news for Tennessee’s foster children, the Department of Children’s Services is now studying its options,” Johnson said. “DCS is conferring with the governor’s office and the TennCare Bureau plus several departments within state government. In the meantime, Tennessee is committed to finding a long-term solution to public child welfare financing.”
Besides the lack of clarity regarding DCS workers’ futures, Johnson said immediate decisions haven’t been made yet on grants for juvenile courts. As a result of the rule change, the state had cut $12 million in grants to juvenile courts and community programs.
Some of the impacted DCS workers are eligible for the state’s $50 million voluntary buyout package.
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I fell down laughing when I read this Pelosi's statement on this bill."This law will also help spur job creation and economic growth by extending unemployment benefits for an additional 13 weeks to more than 3 million jobless American workers who otherwise would have seen their benefits expire. Every $1 in benefits generates $1.64 in new economic demand - a welcome stimulus for the slowing U.S. economy."So, giving $1 dollar to the unemployed generates $1.64 in economic demand. If we just give billions of dollars to the unemployed, the economy would be saved! We need MORE unemployed - its good for the economy.
Look The DCS Worker are working Hard for you Gov. They are legaly kidnapping children as fast as they can to get those Federal Dollers Flowing into your system. The Workers are thriving and know as long as they keep up the good work in splitting kup families in order to gain that Meet that Federal Inshative (Bonas if a Child is Adopted) That there jobs will be fine they just know they just to increace there numbers. You know make no reasonable efforts in keeping families, with hold information to seise chid out of home due to emergency taking, or to doctor shop untill a doctor states that the mother in incompatent. Dont wory there are many ways to place a child into foster home to help get the ball rolling hear are some used around the country and hear in TN. Say the parrent was liable for education neglect (due to a child missimg a 1 1/2 of school, Say a parrent is neglect for Medical Neglect for using over the counter Medicine, saying the mother is responsable for Medical Negalect if Mother does not have inshurence for the child (even if mother cant get well fair and cant afford inchurence), Take a New born from the Hospital Nurcery due to the Mother had her chidren taken away in the past (Even if the mohter has not even done anything to new born), Say Mother is a flight risk and that the state agency has exosted all effots in keeping child with mothers friend (see if that is mentioned it cansols reasonalbe efforts and reasonable efforts that are usualy required to keep child out of foster care is cansoled just from telling judge mother is a flight ricsk. and last but not least CPS workers are working hard at making sure that there is no reunification effots to biological parrents by making unrealistic case plans like up to 7 or more to compleate or keep the child in Foster care for years or more untill they Doctor shop to get a mental instability diagnosis if they can get this diagnosis the mother will be terminated and child will be placed up for adoption and if not of cource the CPS workers can go to the judge and say the mother and child bond has been broken. Gosh with all the options in getting that Federal Bonas Money To Roll into our state i deem it very inportant that we keep our CPS Workers Jobs for they Bring to much money into the state and do so with so much ease! I agree GOv we need to do all we can to keep this racket and business afoat for we the American Families hear in Tn.