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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | May 16, 2019 03:20 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Karen Boback |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Child Welfare Professionals Appreciation Week - June 3-7, 2019 |
| In the near future, I will be introducing a resolution recognizing June 3-7, 2019 as Child Welfare Professionals Appreciation Week in Pennsylvania. As Chairwoman of the House Children and Youth Committee, I have gained an even greater appreciation of the men and women who have dedicated themselves to improving the lives of children and families as caseworkers in the Commonwealth’s child welfare system. These caring, selfless individuals have chosen an extremely demanding profession that routinely exposes them to emotional trauma, perilous environments, crisis situations and unwarranted criticism. More often than not their recompense is low pay, long hours, little gratitude and an adverse impact on their personal lives. Yet they do invaluable work that unfortunately is becoming increasingly essential in our society. Some of their duties include investigating child abuse, assessing safety, and initiating steps to protect children. As a result, they are able to provide necessary services to families so that those families are prepared to care for and nurture their children properly. Imagine a career in which on a daily basis you encounter children who have been victimized by physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and maltreatment. And on a daily basis you encounter families that are in the throes of drug addiction, alcohol abuse, poverty, mental health issues, or other crises. At times, the work can seem overwhelming, if not impossible. Casework overload, paperwork pileups, unrelenting pressure. All of it explains the high rate of turnover in this profession. Those who remain, and do exemplary work in the name of child safety, are special individuals worthy of our respect and admiration. My resolution is one small way in which we can show child welfare caseworkers that we recognize the incredible work that they do. Affirmation of their dedication and sacrifice is the least we as legislators can do. Hopefully, we will be able to do something more tangible for them in the future. |
Introduced as HR362