| East Hawaii families on the Big Island have many barriers to access needed services. FSS and VCM families are unable to access in-home parenting services through the POS contract or as well as the Mentoring/Advocate program. VCM families are put on the waitlist with CWS cases taking priority. We are working hard to keep children in their family home however need to be able to access resources and supportive services in order to do this effectively. These in-home serivces are more user-friendly and accessible for the families we serve because of transportation issues in the Hilo area.
Even if we were able to access CCSS services, there are great quality concerns with the Hilo contracted agency that no one seems to be addressing. It is unclear, even to their workers, what the role of the Outreach Counselor is. More monitoring of the professionalism of the leadership and integrity of their services may be necessary. Let's provide what works for these families and what they need. Thank you for your consideration. |
