The youth and families we help have multiple challenges, most of which require workers to have a great deal of education, skills and experience. Staff turnover disrupts the continuity necessary to work effectively with these problems. Staff must have at least a bachelor' s degree and, in some positions, at least two year's experience. Yet, with the current state reimbursement, we are only able to compensate them at wages several thousand dollars lower than other fields, comparable in other states, or any of our local employment competitors. They work long hours, including weekends, holidays and evenings, in stressful, dangerous environments.
Excellent employees leave social work due to being poorly compensated for difficult work.
The legislative plan led by Rep. Christopher Rants recognizes that having a stable and effective child welfare system will help Iowa keep youth out of trouble, away from dependency on the system and out of prison. We support the Heaton-Tinsman tobacco plan as it begins to resolve this salary crisis in social service programs. Libraries continue to do what they have done for centuries - provide resources for the community to read and learn. Last year patrons of the Sioux City Public Library used 880,000 printed or recorded items. Libraries in the year 2000 are more than books.