MINNEAPOLIS - We're learning new details about problems within Hennepin County's Child Protection Services - a story we've been investigating for months.
A study is laying out a list of concerns that go far beyond staffing issues.
Hennepin County Commissioners realize just adding 98 workers to Child Protection Services won't fix the agency.
"There's clearly a shortage of resources. But that's not the only issue here," said Peter McLaughlin, Hennepin Co. Commissioner.
A commissioned study of CPS compared Hennepin County to seven similar counties nationwide. The authors sat down with commissioners today to explain their findings in more detail.
"We're kind of out of step with other places in the country," said Jeff Johnson, Hennepin Co. Commissioner.
Johnson is concerned with the number of reports Hennepin County CPS screens out without investigating -- 63 percent of them, compared to the national average of 39 percent.
"If we don't address the systems issues we have – screening out people too quickly or screening out too many – any amount of money isn't going to solve the problem," Johnson said.
Another difference -- Hennepin County tends to see more children experience repeat maltreatment than all but one county compared.
That's alarming when consider just this month, 2-year-old Sophia O'Neill was allegedly beaten to death -- and 3-year-old Corrianah Wright drowned in a pool. Two children whose alleged abuse was reported to CPS in the past.
The added staffing is expected to come soon. but the bigger face-lift, CPS leaders say, will be a long process.
"It is going to be a two-three year time-frame to get to where we want to be in terms of improving child safety and our emphasis on child well-being," said Rex Holzemer, Assistant County Administrator for Human Services.
