A high stress job with low pay has contributed to a shortage of cases workers and a backlog of more than 10,000 open abuse and neglect investigations in Missouri's Children's Division, a new investigation by the NPR Midwest Newsroom found.
Missouri state Rep. Keri Ingle, a former case worker, said there have been committee discussions to raise the pay.
"My fear is that the legislature tends to be very reactionary," Ingle said. "I hope, I really truly hope it doesn't take a tragic occurrence, something really, really tragic happening for them to realize how important it is to pay investigators what they're worth.
- Jason Rosenbaum, politics correspondent, St. Louis Public Radio
- Mo. State Rep. Keri Ingle, D-Lee's Summit
- Lisa Mizell, president and CEO, Child Protection Center