Cases are assigned geographically, so clients who move, as the poor often do, typically get a new caseworker.

On Jan. 11, a new caseworker, failing to find the family at home, left a note.

He said the Bronx offices received fewer than 10 of the 180 new caseworkers the child welfare agency recently hired.

A training academy for new caseworkers, delayed for years, is now open.

More than 500 new caseworkers have been hired, more are on the way and training is being upgraded.

The state announced the hiring of 120 new caseworkers last month, which would bring the total to 2,666.

The agency actually received a $12 million increase in 2001, to hire 66 new caseworkers.

Today's announcement on the five new caseworkers is part of the new plan, state officials said.

The city budget had originally called for 200 new "protective" caseworkers, bringing the total to 900.

The current budget is about $106 million, including about $5 million for new caseworkers.