Child welfare advocates made the case Thursday for what they say is the inadequacy of state spending on the safety of children.

Dana Wolfe Naimark of Children’s Action alliance said even though in the end more money was added for the new child welfare agency, it won’t do anything to reduce the staggering caseload at Child Protective Services.

“Due to our high caseloads for our CPS staff, the time it takes for CPS to complete an investigation has quadrupled, quadrupled to 249 hours in the past four years,” Naimark said.

Naimark says despite the legislative intent to re-examine spending for child welfare, once the new agency takes place, some parents will still likely have to choose between a job and staying home to care for their children.