Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

Public Safety

Supervisors OK More Money For Social Workers, Probation Officers

San Diego County Board of Supervisors in chamber on June 26, 2019.
John Carroll
San Diego County Board of Supervisors in chamber on June 26, 2019.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved an additional $1.65 million for enhanced training and education of social workers and probation officers.

Based on recommendations from the county Child Welfare Services Review Working Group, the money will expand an existing contract.

Supervisors Nathan Fletcher and Greg Cox, co-chairs of the Child and Family Strengthening Advisory Board, proposed the additional funding.

Advertisement

"Every day our social workers have to make tough calls that impact the lives of children and their families," Cox said. "We're off to a good start."

In a statement, Fletcher said investing in more training and education "is vital to the success of our child welfare system."

"Today's action is timely, because our latest budget calls for the hiring of 125 social workers," Fletcher said. "The expanded curriculum will benefit new and existing employees; ensuring the people responsible for making important safety decisions for families and children can provide the best care possible."

During the meeting, Fletcher said he appreciated those residents who attended the working group meetings.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.