Despite great effort on behalf of the staff and local social workers, my suspicion is now borne out by multiple audits performed by the Legislative Audit Division in Montana. The audits have found the same material deficiencies in the Child and Family Services Division (CFSD) time and time again, dating back to 2011. The December 2021 audit reveals that failing to remedy known deficiencies within CFSD harms Montana kids.
Career CFSD staff began noticeably fleeing CFSD by 2016. These devoted public servants were forced by the administration to place form over substance and adhere to antiquated policies that did not reflect the needs of our children. Others left when it was clear the department was promoting bad actors and bullies to senior leadership positions. The December 2021 legislative audit confirms these accounts: CFSD continues to place form over substance, has no leadership, and families are suffering. The defense to audit findings from CFSD used to be “we have so many kids in foster care because of the drug problem in Montana.” Well, it turns out, that’s not true. The 2021 audit found that fewer kids are in foster care in states with higher drug addiction issues.
By 2015, the Legislative Audit Division boldly stated, “The Department needs to address inconsistent documentation, limited supervisory oversight, and lack of management information related to child abuse and neglect report … As part of our review, we identified long-term and systemic management concerns…” After this audit, despite a scathing 2017 legislative committee meeting where then-Representative Randy Broedehl chastised CFSD for not implementing any of the five recommendations made two years prior, and despite a 2019 expose by reporter Kianna Gardner, CFSD changed nothing.
And now, we have more kids in foster care than any other state in the union. The irony is not lost that the division charged with interceding in dysfunctional families cannot capably meet its mission because it suffers from crippling dysfunction itself. The failures of CFSD are now laid bare for Montanans to see. If dramatic change – top-down and bottom-up – does not occur, what will our answer be when our Montana kids ask: Why didn’t you do something to help us?
Tammi Fisher is an attorney, former mayor of Kalispell and host of Montana Values Podcast.