Community members are lobbying ahead of a City Council hearing this week for long-sought reforms to Philadelphia’s Department of Human Services, citing years of systemic problems.

The hearing, the second convened by City Council members Nina Ahmad and Cindy Bass, was sparked by a Philadelphia Journalism Collaborative investigation, published in the Philadelphia Inquirer , which exposed chronic understaffing, turnover in the workforce and the needless separation of families.

Ahmad, in preparation for Tuesday’s hearing, listened to community concerns this August at the city’s main library in a two-plus hour event at which participants offered several key criticisms.

Poverty is not neglect : The city still separates too many families for economic reasons, calls it “neglect,” and takes c

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