A report on the state's Division of Children, Youth and Families points to an immediate need to add more staff.
The report finds social workers are rapidly burning out because of huge caseloads. Social workers are investigating 54 allegations of child abuse and neglect each month. That's why staff turnover is high: from July 2015 to June 2016, one third of case worker positions were vacant.
These case workers are supposed to investigate reports of child abuse within 60 days. But the report says 80 percent of the investigations take longer than that.
The report is the first to come from an independent review of DCYF. Health Department commissioner Jeff Meyers forwarded the report to Governor Hassan, and Commissioner Meyers says the report will help him craft DCYF's next budget, which he'll present to the legislature this winter.
