BROOKVILLE, Pa. (EYT) — A lack of funding from the state is causing problems for children and youth services agencies in Jefferson County, and the county commissioners are hoping that changes soon.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Chairman Jack Matson made the case for more money, staff, and awareness, so that they can better handle the services for abused and neglected children as well as child abuse investigations.
“The child welfare system is at a crisis point due to extremely high caseload ratios, unrealistic demands, and the lack of timely, appropriate funding from the state,” Matson said. “These factors, combined with a 30 to 100 percent increase in cases, are preventing children and families in critical need from obtaining the care they deserve.”
“Additionally, due to funding restraints, counties have not been able to reopen their child welfare budgets to add needed staff when the amendments to the Child Protective Services Law went into effect in 2015.”
“This resulted in understaffing and problems with retention as overworked caseworkers left the system,” Matson said.
Matson also talked about “overwhelming” paperwork and the Child Welfare Information Solution, the database that transmits referrals to the counties, slowing the process to the point that caseworkers spend even less time with families and kids.
“Counties repeatedly have sought an increase in the financial match for child welfare staff and adequate funding for human services,” Matson said. “While we applaud the Department of Human Services for regularly increasing staffing to ChildLine, the organization that receives the initial reports, we would be remiss if we did not note that the continuing stagnation in state funding has prevented counties from doing the same.”
“Too often, child welfare mandates are placed on counties without any means to pay for them,” Matson said.
In other business:
County Treasurer James VanSteenberg reported that his office has mailed out all the bonus doe tags.
According to state Game Commission, all the doe tags in the region have been sold. Only Wildlife Management Units 2A, 2B in the southwest part of the state and 4A in the southcentral, have tags left.
• County EMS Director Tracy Zents opened the bids for the Pre-Disaster Mitigation Plan, which will expire about a year from now.
MGM Consulting Group in St. Marys submitted a bid for $32,957.00 and Mountain View Planning in Willsboro, N.Y. submitted one for $30,000.00.
Zents reported the next step is to have a committee review both applications to make sure they meet all requirements. Then, the township solicitor will review them.
• Danielle VanSteenberg, of Clover Township, won the $500.00 scholarship from the Jefferson County Township Officers Association.
Deb Wilson, president of the association, was at the meeting, and Commissioner Herb Bullers drew the name. There were six applications. Candidates had to fill out an application and attend one township meeting in the county.
• According to Brad Lashinsky, County Director of Economic Development, the Business Park near Interstate 80 is still waiting on the wetlands delineation from the state Department of Environmental Protection.
He said things sound good, but that the county is still waiting on written approval.
The Business Park, located off Exit 81 will cost $4.6 million and will bring between 250 and 500 jobs to the area.
The 166 acres of land consists of 37 lots available for interested companies.
Copyright © 2024 EYT Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of EYT Media Group, Inc. is expressly prohibited.
