By Alabama Public Radio
Alabama – Several Alabama counties have made improvements in their child welfare systems while others to have problems, according to a recent study. The study looked at ten Alabama counties which were under court order to improve their child welfare systems after the Department of Human Resources was sued in 1988. The study showed seven of the ten counties were keeping up with improvements while Jefferson, Marshall, and Macon counties were lagging behind. The study shows Jefferson County's system struggles with staff turnover, caseload problems and inexperienced workers. Marshall and Macon counties face problems linked to an increase in Spanish-speaking residents.