In the Trenches of Child Welfare: A Call for Action
In the trenches of child welfare high stress is perennial and complaints chronic. Social workers know this. They sign up for it willingly. So it’s no small thing when more than 1,000 of them call for the governor to fire their boss.
That’s the scenario now underway, and Gov. Jay Inslee needs to step in — not to dismiss Ross Hunter, secretary of the state Department of Children, Youth & Families, but to broker a peace between him and the workers. The safety of thousands of children depends on it.
The Challenges Faced by DCYF Staff
- Turnover is soaring
- Job vacancies are rife
- Staff members are often working overtime without adequate support
- Guards and social workers have been assaulted by youth in crisis, sometimes resulting in serious injuries
The Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE), which represents the workers, began a no-confidence vote against Hunter in June. If the union collects 1,855 signatures by Labor Day, they’ll formally ask Gov. Inslee to take action. As of this writing, they’re at 1,383.
However, removing Hunter from his position could potentially exacerbate their problems. With Inslee unlikely to appoint a new secretary and an interim placeholder leading the department, it would only create further uncertainty and chaos, making it difficult to attract new staff.
The Achievements and Challenges of Ross Hunter
No question, leading the agency that oversees Child Protective Services is one of the hardest jobs in state government. Hunter should be commended for presiding over a historic decline in foster care, raising the bar for child removals while providing more family-safety oversight. That’s a delicate balancing act still in its rocky, early stages.
However, humility has never been his strong suit. This is not the famously cutthroat culture of Microsoft, where Hunter previously worked. Nor is it the state Legislature, where sharp elbows might be perceived as get-the-job-done flintiness. In 2019, after a year at the helm of DCYF, Hunter knew one of his biggest challenges would be low morale among staff. It does not appear that he’s done much to improve it.
Hunter declined to discuss his labor problems with the editorial board. Mike Yestramski, president of the WFSE, says the secretary also refuses to talk with the union, which has a timeline detailing Hunter’s failure to convey that he takes their concerns seriously.
But Yestramski is still open to collaboration.
“I wouldn’t say the window for that has passed,” he said. “Everybody has a boss and in Ross Hunter’s case, Gov. Inslee is the boss. If Ross isn’t able or willing to communicate with us, maybe Gov. Inslee forces him to.”
In some ways, the WFSE is playing a high-risk game of chicken. If it gathers enough votes but gets no response from Inslee, the union may be in a weaker position than ever, while working for someone it tried to oust. Relations were surely not improved when workers flooded Hunter’s inbox with so many emails during recent salary negotiations that he couldn’t conduct regular business.
Yestramski promises more “creative” methods to get Hunter’s attention if the no-confidence vote fails. Meanwhile, 9,700 families involved with the state’s child welfare system hang in the balance. That raises the stakes.
A Call for Action
Inertia is the enemy here. As Gov. Inslee heads into the final stretch of his decade in state leadership, he has an opportunity to position himself as a bridge-builder — helping families, workers, and perhaps simultaneously his own political future.
“If we need somebody to be the first grown-up,” said Rep. Tana Senn, chair of the House Committee on Human Services, Youth & Early Learning, “let’s have it be the governor.”
About the Seattle Times Editorial Board
- Kate Riley – Editorial Page Editor
- Frank A. Blethen
- Melissa Davis
- Alex Fryer
- Claudia Rowe
- Carlton Winfrey
- William K. Blethen (emeritus)
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 1: No Poverty
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 4: Quality Education
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
The article discusses issues related to child welfare, job vacancies, low morale among staff, and the safety of children. These issues are connected to various SDGs, including poverty reduction (SDG 1), ensuring good health and well-being (SDG 3), providing quality education (SDG 4), promoting gender equality (SDG 5), creating decent work opportunities (SDG 8), reducing inequalities (SDG 10), and establishing strong institutions (SDG 16).
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.
- Target 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000 live births.
- Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.
- Target 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life.
- Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.
- Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.
- Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels.
Based on the article’s content, the identified targets include implementing social protection systems (Target 1.3), reducing preventable deaths of children (Target 3.2), promoting education for sustainable development (Target 4.7), ensuring women’s participation in decision-making (Target 5.5), achieving full and productive employment (Target 8.5), promoting social inclusion (Target 10.2), and ensuring inclusive decision-making (Target 16.7).
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Indicator 1.3.1: Proportion of the population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims, and the poor and vulnerable.
- Indicator 3.2.1: Under-five mortality rate.
- Indicator 4.7.1: Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment.
- Indicator 5.5.1: Proportion of seats held by women in (a) national parliaments and (b) local governments.
- Indicator 8.5.1: Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age group, and persons with disabilities.
- Indicator 10.2.1: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, by age, sex, and persons with disabilities.
- Indicator 16.7.1: Proportions of positions (by sex, age, persons with disabilities, and population groups) in public institutions (national and local legislatures, public service, and judiciary) compared to national distributions.
The article does not explicitly mention indicators, but based on the identified targets, relevant indicators can be used to measure progress. These indicators include the proportion of the population covered by social protection systems (Indicator 1.3.1), under-five mortality rate (Indicator 3.2.1), extent of global citizenship education and education for sustainable development (Indicator 4.7.1), proportion of seats held by women in decision-making bodies (Indicator 5.5.1), average hourly earnings by gender and disability (Indicator 8.5.1), proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (Indicator 10.2.1), and representation in public institutions (Indicator 16.7.1).
4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 1: No Poverty | Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable. | Indicator 1.3.1: Proportion of the population covered by social protection floors/systems, by sex, distinguishing children, unemployed persons, older persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, newborns, work-injury victims, and the poor and vulnerable. |
| SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being | Target 3.2: By 2030, end preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age, with all countries aiming to reduce neonatal mortality to at least as low as 12 per 1,000 live births and under-5 mortality to at least as low as 25 per 1,000
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