22VAC40-705-180. Training.

B. Workers shall complete skills and policy training specific to child abuse and neglect investigations and family assessments within the first year two years of their employment.

Of concern in the above section is the elimination of the requirment that this training occur in the first year of employment.  It is important to note that CPS workers tend to have a high turn over rate in the DSS Systems.  By extending the time limit to two years it is significantly possible that the worker will never receive this training and can move onto another agency for less than two years and again not receive this training. 

This training is critical to determining the immediate and future safety and stabiliy of a child/children.  Further, without this training in the first year, the testimony of a CPS worker in a Court proceeding can be seriously called into questions by defense attorneys because of the lack of proper and complete training to appropriately investigate the case.  The child's safety and stability can be further jeopardized by inadequate and impeachabel testimony by the CPS worker.  It is not uncommon at all in adjudicatory trials that the CPS worker's trainings and certifications are placed under very significant scrutiny.