TITLE
Title
DHHS - SOCIAL SERVICES DIVISION UPDATE ON FOSTER CARE ROOM AND BOARD
end
SPONSOR
Sponsor
Heather Skeens
end
BACKGROUND
Background
In October 2015, Division of Social Services (DSS) staff presented to the Board of Commissioners a report on Foster Care Room and Board expenditures detailing the increased number of children entering custody, and their complicated needs, which has resulted in placement of children in more expensive cost-of-care facilities. The Board of Commissioners approved an increase in the room and board budget by $420,000 ($390,000 in County funds and $30,000 State funds).
The current amended budget for room and board payments for foster children is $4,020,000, based on an average of 400 children in custody. As of March 31, 2016, there are 422 children in custody, with room and board payments totaling $3,585,136.
Based on the current number of children in custody and placements, our projected cost for room and board through June 30, 2016 is $5.2 million, which is an increase of approximately $1.18 million over the amended budget. At this time, DSS is proposing that $1,042,000 will be covered through State/Federal Revenue and the remaining $138,000 will be covered through lapsed salaries. No additional County funds are requested.
During the October 2015 presentation, we also shared new recruitment ideas developed by the Child Welfare Division. Listed below are results stemming from implementation of these new recruitment techniques and an overall increase in recruiting efforts.
Information Session Attendance:
· December 2015 - 31
· January 2016 - 28
· February - 24
· March - 44
· April - 18 as of April 5, 2016
Ten (10) homes have been licensed since December 2015. Currently, there are three (3) homes pending approval in Black Mountain, NC and an additional six (6) homes pending approval in Guilford County. We have twelve (12) families, comprised of eighteen (18) people attending the current Model Approach to Partners...
Click here for full text