The Pennsylvania Auditor General is saying the state’s child welfare system is broken and is in Erie discussing ways to make it better.  This visit to the Erie County Office of Children and Youth coming after Auditor General Eugene Depasquale says the results show the caseworkers and employees are “underpaid and overworked”.

As for Erie County, the report shows the opioid crisis is one of the biggest concerns.  Depasquale says, “We have a decision to make – do we think it’s important to protect children or not? I believe it is the primary function of what government can do. It doesn’t mean it’s all governments job, but we need to have been public-private partnerships. But the reality is some of this function falls on the government to do. We’re not doing enough right now and we need to do better.”

Depasquale says during his visit, technology is a big issue in the rural areas of Erie County.