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Description
Councilwoman Cindy Bass (8th District) makes opening remarks before the Hearing of the Committee on Public Health and Human Services on the Department of Human Services' Community Umbrella Agencies scorecard held Wednesday, February 7, 2018.
A
I
do
have
some
remarks
that
I
would
like
to
make
before
we
call
the
first
panel
to
testify
and
I
want
to
start
by
thanking
everyone
for
coming.
Nothing
is
more
important
than
our
young
people,
and
by
being
here
today,
you
are
signaling
a
commitment
to
our
youth,
especially
those
that
are
under
DHHS
supervision
of
signal
that
they
manner
these
youth,
whether
in
temporary
foster
care
seeking
permanent
family
placement
or
somewhere
in
between
deserve
the
very
best
and
city
services.
A
My
question
raised
from
the
scorecard
is:
is
that
what
we
are
providing
in
September
of
2017
DHHS
offered
a
draft
report
title
evaluation
of
the
improving
outcomes
for
children
transformation
in
the
child
welfare
system
in
Philadelphia?
This
report
was
presented
to
members
and
staff
of
City
Council
in
the
caucus
room
on
September,
14th
and
I.
Remember
walking
out
of
the
meeting
and
talking
with
several
of
my
colleagues
regarding
what
was
presented
and
feeling
that
the
report
was
somewhat
empty
void
of
the
substantial
information
that
would
make
it
worthy
of
the
members
valuable
time.
A
As
the
host
of
this
briefing,
I
must
admit
that
I
was
disappointed,
that
there
wasn't
more
offered
and
I
know
that
many
of
them
were
as
well.
Nonetheless,
none
of
us
doubt
it
then,
or
now
the
sincerity
of
the
leadership
or
the
frontline
workers
at
DHS.
This
is
a
difficult
job
to
be
clear.
It
is
also
not
a
high
paying
job
in
dollars,
but
among
those
who
do
this
work
and
who
are
mission
driven,
it
is
high
paying
and
personal
reward
and
inner
peace.
A
A
Just
appear
to
be
completely
problematic
and
appropriate
troubling.
As
we
read
the
report
as
we
look
at
the
scorecard
I
find
that
the
Liberty
Bell
rating
system
was
not
something
that
should
have
been
appropriate
for
something
so
serious
when
there
was
a
letter
scoring
grade
in
the
back
of
this
report,
and
so
I
have
a
lot
of
questions.
Why
was
that
letter
scoring
greed
not
presented
in
the
very
front?
Why
was
this
not
provided?
It
appears
as
if
it
was
sort
of
added
to
the
back
as
a
way
of
disguising
the
information
and
I.
A
Don't
want
to
think
that
I
don't
want
to
believe
that.
So
please
help
me
to
understand
how
I
could
have
this
impression.
Please
have
all
of
us
to
understand
why
it
appears
that
80%
of
the
cause,
the
community
umbrella
agencies,
according
to
your
report,
have
at
least
one
F
that
20%
have
six
DS
30%
have
five
and
20%
have
four
I
counted:
39
DS
among
10
organizations
and
nine
categories,
Ward
wordsworth,
where
there
was
a
sexual
assault
and
death
occurring
in
recent
years,
received
a
B
and
supervision.
I
just
don't
understand
how
that
could
be.
A
The
actual
average
among
the
10
cool
organizations
was
a
two
point
for
which
is
unsatisfactory
by
DHS's
own
words.
So
I
look
forward
to
hearing
an
explanation
as
to
how
this
could
be,
how
we
can
maintain
a
system
that
we
ourselves
have
graded
as
unsatisfactory,
and
particularly
when
we're
looking
at
a
system
that
is
serving
those
who
are
most
in
the
most
vulnerable
and
who
certainly
need
our
time
and
attention,
and
so
with
that
being
said,
I
want
to
recognize
the
president.