There has been an increase in the number of children in Child Protective Services referrals, and the Department is analyzing data from recent years to determine referral source and recidivism rates so we can better target education and prevention efforts.  In the short term, we have increased staffing to support the increased workload and ensure initial child safety needs are met. The Department is also researching national evidenced based models to support the families of children returning home from the foster care system.  The Department partners with other community stakeholders to meet the needs of vulnerable adults.  We are monitoring workload growth trends, and targeting professional development for staff and partnering with other services providers to meet emerging needs in the adult population.