Child Protective Services Feel Budget Cuts

Some Kentucky social service officials say budget cuts are hampering their efforts to help the state’s at-risk children. Several of them discussed their situation at the monthly meeting of the Louisville Forum Wednesday.Among the most pressing problems is the ongoing shortage of social workers, made worse by the scarcity of government funds.Sky Tanghe works for Kentucky Child Protective Services. She says the state’s lean fiscal situation means fewer hires, heavier workloads and more employees seeking jobs elsewhere.“You’re seeing the loss of workers because we can’t handle the pressure of case after case after case, family after family and us seeing the families not having their needs met," says Tanghe.Tanghe also says budget cuts have hurt her department’s ability to offer services such as shelter and psychiatric evaluations to children under protective care.She was among the speakers at Wednesday’s Louisville Forum.