St. Aemilian-Lakeside to take over child welfare contract
By Crocker Stephenson
St. Aemilian-Lakeside Inc. will replace La Causa in providing ongoing case management and safety services for about a third of Milwaukee County's abused and neglected children and their families, Department of Children and Families Secretary Reggie Bicha announced Monday.
"St. Aemilian-Lakeside has the capacity and the commitment to meet the high standards we hold for protecting children and families," Bicha said.
"They are a first-class children's service agency that has served the Milwaukee community for over 150 years," he said.
The agency will assume responsibility for services in the southern region of the state-run Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare. Children's Family and Community Partnership, a nonprofit subsidiary of Children's Service Society of Wisconsin, provides case management and safety services for the rest of the county.
La Causa announced in December that it was terminating its contract with the state. The announcement came on the heels of the Nov. 11 beating death of 13-month-old foster child Christopher Thomas and of the discovery that his 2-year-old sister, police say, had been tortured for months by their aunt.
La Causa was responsible for supervising the Thomas siblings. The children were abused, the DCF has said, even as La Causa caseworkers made repeated visits to their home.
At the time of its announcement, La Causa was responsible for about 650 cases and employed about 120 child-welfare workers. St. Aemilian will be responsible for roughly the same number of cases and will operate out of the same building now occupied by La Causa at 2745 S. 13th St., said Cyrus Behroozi, administrator of the DCF's Division of Safety and Permanence.
DCF will review the $12 million contract annually, with renewal based on meeting specific performance measures. St. Aemilian is expected to begin operations on May 15.
St. Aemilian workers have already begun to work side-by-side with La Causa workers to make the transition as smooth and stable as possible, Behroozi said. Children and families on Milwaukee's south side should see no interruption in their services, he said.
DCF chose St. Aemilian over Children's Family and Community Partnership. Had that agency been selected, it would have been responsible for case management and safety services for the entire county.
"This choice keeps BMCW from becoming completely dependent on one contractor," said Susan Conwell, executive director of the child advocacy agency Kids Matter Inc.
She called the decision a bold stroke.
"It brings an established community partner to the table on behalf of kids," she said.
"Hopefully, the energy of the new partners can translate into better outcomes for kids."
St. Aemilian-Lakeside's service to Milwaukee began in 1850, when it opened an orphanage. Today, it offers children and families support through treatment, foster care, residential care, education and mental health services.
It was named the 2008 Agency of the Year by the Alliance for Children and Families, an association for nonprofit social services providers.
"At St. Aemilian-Lakeside, we have always been dedicated to offering family-focused services," said Teri Zywicki, the agency's chief executive officer.
"We look forward to partnering with the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare as we continue to empower children, families and adults to improve the quality of their lives."