By Randy Hart, interim assistant secretary of the Children's Administration

The Spokesman Review recently published an article and subsequent editorial about concerns raised by Stevens County Prosecuting Attorney Tim Rasmussen, who said that he had been investigating practices of Children's Administration in Stevens County and had found a "pattern of misconduct" in the Colville office. Given the serious nature of these allegations, I am responding on behalf of the Department of Social and Health Services and the Children's Administration.

I thank the Spokesman Review for the balanced editorial, asking for accuracy in the allegations and for cooler heads to prevail. The safety and well being of children is the Department's core mission and overarching concern. We take very seriously allegations that Children's Administration leadership and employees are not taking steps to protect children or are disregarding their safety and needs. While it would be premature for the Department to comment on specific cases at this time, it is necessary to set the record straight on some aspects of Mr. Rasmussen's investigation.

Based on a letter of concern from Rep. Joel Kretz, in June 2008 DSHS asked the Office of the Family and Children's Ombudsman to undertake an independent review of the Colville Office and investigate the complaints identified by Rep. Kretz. The Ombudsman's office has not yet issued a report but has been in ongoing communication with the Department regarding specific cases. Gov. Chris Gregoire, in a letter to Mr. Rasmussen April 1, indicated that the Ombudsman's office should complete its review in early May.

In addition, the Department is reviewing, in detail, each of the cases that we believe were referenced in Mr. Rasmussen's letter. Children's Administration headquarters and Region 1 management have been working with the Colville office, legislators' offices and the community regarding concerns previously expressed about individual cases.

In October 2007, the Colville office underwent management changes. We appointed a new area manager to cover Colville, Newport and Republic. This change reduced the span of control for that manager, allowing more focus on the area. We have been actively engaged with this office through case reviews, office and community visits and ongoing case reviews by staff teams for over a year and a half.

Through this work, we found the staff in Colville is committed to working with families and children in the community and helping them get the services they need. Staff has been open to scrutiny and has involved family members, community child protection teams, foster parents and local Indian Child Welfare Committees in critical decisions that affect families.

Department staff involved in the internal review of the Colville office expect to deliver a report to the DSHS Secretary in early May.

Children's Administration works with and values the work and efforts of others who help make up the safety net for children and families in our communities, including law enforcement officers, doctors, service providers, and foster parents and relatives. Children who have suffered abuse and neglect are placed by the courts in the custody of the Department of Social and Health Services. Courts don't make these decisions on placement and services in a vacuum, but rather after considering the recommendations of the above expert professionals. As Attorney General Rob McKenna indicated in a letter to Mr. Rasmussen March 31, each dependency case brought on behalf of DSHS is subject to review by the court, which makes the ultimate determinations on the issues presented by the parties.

I regret that Mr. Rasmussen did not approach the department as part of his investigation. The prosecuting attorney did not request from Children's Administration any document, record or other information about any case, nor did he ask to speak with any Department supervisor or manager about specific cases. Further, he did not inquire about how Child Protective Services' investigations are conducted, the process for risk assessment or decision making used in investigations and ongoing cases, or Children's Administration policies and how they are applied to help guide day-to-day practice.

We welcome inquiries from members of the public who have concerns about Children's Administration. I also encourage people to submit concerns to the Ombudsman, should they want an independent review of department actions or decisions.

Children's Administration will continue to investigate any new concerns about the handling of cases and we will work with the individuals and families, as well as the Ombudsman, to resolve those concerns.

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DSHS does not discriminate and provides equal access to its programs and services for all persons without regard to race, color, gender, religion, creed, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, age, veteran's status or the presence of any physical, sensory or mental disability.