[ca-bigsister]

I live in Los Angeles County. My SW won't let me have her email. She says she can't give it out because "she is a state employee." Well, I am a state employee as a school teacher and every student and parent has my email.

I want her email because she is partly deaf and cannot talk on the phone well. When I fax her something, she "never gets it." She calls me back at my house when I have consistently asked her to call me on my cell phone because I work. She still calls my house phone. As a teacher, it is hard for me to talk on the phone because I am teaching and there are 40 kids in my classes from 8:00-3:30 pm.

I'm just curious - can you let me know if you email your social workers/case workers? If so, can you say what city or state your worker is in (if that's all right with you?) I'm just curious to give her some feedback.

[StephanieMB]

I email our caseworkers a lot! The caseworkers here in Indiana have special DCS email addresses, and I that's how I communicate with them for the most part.

[DreamingAzure]

That's a bunch of hooey! I have a number of friends in L.A. who work for either L.A. County or the state...and I have their work email addresses!

You can probably find her email address on the dcf website, it takes some time to find the right spot..but they are usually hidden somewhere.

Sometimes you can get around it by calling the main office and just asking for it lol I had to do that with a couple of colleges I was dealing with where they constantly were having "voice mail glitches" and never getting my messages.

Good Luck!

[joskimo]

I email frequently, in fact often I will email my notes after a phone conversation just to confirm that I've understood the dates or information conveyed to me, I like having the written record.

[hcg]

I email mine all the time. I email our support worker with updated proofs or questions, and the caseworker with photos, info about N, and requests. I've never had any trouble - in fact, email is often preferred, because then both parties have a copy.

I'm in AL.

[MommyWend]

Hi ca-big sister, I'm in Orange County, CA, and we have never been given a social worker's email address. I know some foster parents in other states who use email with their social workers, but haven't met another foster parent in California who has been given the go-ahead to email their social worker.

When your social worker said it was because she was a "state worker," I don't think that was the correct reason--as you have already noticed. But I do think that social workers in CA (or at least both of our counties) have been told not to use email. I would guess it has to do with confidentiality reasons.

I don't think there SHOULD be any reason not to email with social workers, but I don't think your social worker is being purposely deceptive about the email issue. I think what you're experiencing is commonplace in CA.

Sorry you have been stuck with an unresponsive social worker. There are very few things more frustrating than that! My advice is to document, document, document! You are probably already doing this, but be sure to print out a fax report showing the date and time of the fax, and showing that it went through. When you build up a library of these faxes and a handwritten phone log, you can present it to her and/or her supervisor!

[mrsmiller2007]

I also email mine, she has an email through DHR/state email address. I think yours is full of it. Mine actually prefers email over calling.

[GaViolet]

We email most of the time because it is so much easier to get a hold of them and inform them of information. We have almost everyone that works at the agencies email address.

[ca-bigsister]

MommyWend -
thanks for the email about California foster parents not emailing their social workers. I appreciate the feedback.

It's interesting that California social workers are not doing what other state social workers are.

I wonder why?

[mamachell]

I know this post is old but I did want to let people know in CA you can definately email your caseworker.

In LA its:

lastnamefirstinitial@dcfs.lacounty.gov

ex: smithj@dcfs.lacounty.gov

Sometimes it's slightly different depending on the persons name but you can usually figure it out. If it's wrong it will just bounce back.

I have had the best luck calling but I do have my caseworker's email address. ALL caseworkers have email and if they don't give it to you I think it's because they don't want to have a papertrail.

Good luck in communicating with your CW.

[mnmomma]

I know that I can email CW's here in MN, but I've had them state that they don't want anything with identifying information re: foster kids on it going through email. Messages can easily be forwarded or misdirected. Maybe this is part of their issue?

[ScrapMonkey]

Some cws like it and some do not. I have a cw who PREFERS I email her and I have former cws who REFUSED to give me their email addresses. I like to think it's the difference between who wants a paper trail and who doesn't

[DannieAS]

I have NO idea why CA people say they can't e-mail their sw. That sounds fishy to me.

I've had my sw's e-mail since we started interacting....and she tells me to E-mail her because it's sooooo much easier....

I'm in Riv. county by the way.

[mommy09]

my SW told me she'd rather me email her then call her. She's great she even gave me her cell phone #(for emergencies only...)

[shaslove]

I email mine, both in WA and in OR.

Much easier, and I love the paper trail also!