[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6594518,"mediaKeyId","3220693-b98c274d4d67065eca7eb44a8ba6d028","parentId",3220693,"title","Rutherford County DSS reports program overages, near-exhaustion of disaster assistance funds and Medicaid redeterminations","audioSeconds",289,"startMs",1214000,"endMs",1503000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3220693-b98c274d4d67065eca7eb44a8ba6d028&start=1214&end=1503","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3220693-b98c274d4d67065eca7eb44a8ba6d028/thumbnail_1214000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6594518/Rutherford-County/North-Carolina/Rutherford-County-DSS-reports-program-overages-near-exhaustion-of-disaster-assistance-funds-and-Medicaid-redeterminations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6594518-46f853a3a12b24f461c4c2b02da644bf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156737&Signature=ehEcDZ41bwcos-2x00vUsXlJoOOEiW1Cq~ifeofhpUR9n-9hPemyEGpuGiNJHg8vSm3M1U8x0vOzTjdgZo6Vv5~jtiMbsNR0vHzFRQzyCSVS-oqTzfBHA~2b8c5h7NwbBANyZVVjaLdKmV10OVZqA31jURjvJFy2F2EDQ2LlzM-AMOQFF7OQwcgRMIPp1pbiRVp4G75Zwute2qRs2Skzn~MFmFx64u1dVMasiQhqoxqD3j3TMv-GaeodKTDoJDvXK1KRDIrxLmOjfb1Vc2rh~ii-FFb~450u8k6rMSDQgxbtQiGzCEKLU0ONzDIkFgK-QTkSFIi2uvuL9fdBGGda7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Rutherford County","date","2025-04-16T00:00:00Z","article","Rutherford County Department of Social Services finance staff presented the agency’s budget report and warned that several program lines are over budget even as the department’s total spending remains below the nine‑month benchmark.

In the board meeting, staff reported the department’s total budget at roughly 69.87% of annual appropriation, which they said is about 5.15 percentage points below the expected 75% benchmark for nine months elapsed. The program side showed significant overages: state foster care and specific foster-related lines were described as far over budget, with some foster-related categories near or at full expenditure for the year.

The finance presentation also covered disaster-related funds. Staff said the disaster energy assistance balance (disaster energy assistance account) had roughly $29,800 remaining and that recent additional deposits had been received; they expected the remaining balance to be spent by the end of the following week and said a budget amendment would be filed to reflect additional incoming funds.

Staff discussed changes to Medicaid eligibility procedures tied to the expiration of COVID-era waivers. The board was told that the formal policy requires redetermination steps to begin for cases with a start date of July 1; staff said caseworkers had begun that work immediately. The change means households will need to provide documentation (income, bank statements and other verification) for Medicaid eligibility at the redetermination date rather than relying on temporary waiver provisions.

Finance staff said workforce training is underway because many current caseworkers were not previously working Medicaid cases and need retraining on the redetermination processes. The board heard that supervisors started training the week of the meeting.

Other program discussion included the Work First services program, which staff said has lower active participation (roughly 72 households) and limited take-up because program requirements and small monthly benefit amounts reduce interest for some clients.

Why it matters: Overspending in key program lines, rapidly drawing down disaster relief funds and an imminent policy shift on Medicaid eligibility require staffing, training and potential budget amendments to avoid service interruptions.

The board did not approve new budget allocations during this meeting; staff said they would bring required budget amendments as funds arrive and as program needs become clearer.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Rutherford County - Social Services Board on 2025-04-16 4:00 PM - Apr 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Rutherford County Department of Social Services finance staff presented the agency’s budget report and warned that several program lines were over budget even as total spending remained below the nine‑month benchmark.","taxTitle","Rutherford County, North Carolina","taxId",45173,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6594524,"Rutherford County DSS: foster care caseloads high; county joins Duke study and expands outreach",444,2234000,2678000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3220693-b98c274d4d67065eca7eb44a8ba6d028&start=2234&end=2678","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3220693-b98c274d4d67065eca7eb44a8ba6d028/thumbnail_2234000.jpg","/articles/6594524/Rutherford-County/North-Carolina/Rutherford-County-DSS-foster-care-caseloads-high-county-joins-Duke-study-and-expands-outreach","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6594524-8a465ea9dcf2bd940fd8c19d7cb7d71c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156737&Signature=TrTG8aFZ4RwqRl0nA9MYm39rbwVu~DXxJ5JEWZTlNDMJEr4n7Gk6a4KsHK5wvHz6gK87nAbWilvQKelvr7UgubvwrN0zh8O2Si6prGafDNMstvNv-hBMwqbTF0MQ9SDlQ8nmHSknnfOuRTIb-Z3Mo2wjhxWC4N6qo67qHCe~ivfWX-iDC3rTdE0Wx1wSSYNOFVNrdIZCFgakbdX4Ls16Ly6KcQbaUPZR1gWvgolf8GVuGRx41q6eM-ZpVjmRTUL3xZqvD62X7uoM6f2JGmdDGufuF-5ln4bl0WXWo8fskEpyeal~eaBQ6SZFDuM3xJrq-4lVknVfAaXUv273Ub3rnA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rutherford County Department of Social Services officials told the board during a regular meeting that foster care caseloads remain elevated and that county staff are pursuing research and community outreach to recruit and retain resource parents.

Board members and staff said the county was selected, along with three others, to receive a Duke University grant to study recruitment and retention of foster parents. Staff described a Resource Parent Outreach Program (RPOP) and other community efforts aimed at increasing foster-home capacity and support.

The grant will fund researchers to spend time in the agency and the community to identify local barriers and potential improvements to foster-parent recruitment and retention. Staff said the study will include interviews with agency workers and current foster parents; the county did not provide a written grant award or timeline in the meeting record.

Agency staff described RPOP as an in‑community outreach effort that recognizes current foster parents and shares their experiences directly with neighbors, churches and other community groups. Staff emphasized that empirical research and local experience suggest peer-to-peer recruitment by current resource parents is more effective than outreach conducted only by agency social workers.

Board members and staff also discussed the county’s shortage of resource parents and foster homes. Staff said foster-parent recruitment is challenging for multiple reasons, including changes in child behaviors, the demands of caring for children who have experienced trauma, the lingering impact of COVID precautions and the prevalence of kinship caregivers and grandparents who are already caring for children in the county.

Staff outlined short-term and longer-term steps to expand placements: targeted recruitment events (including a park outreach event planned in May), church partnerships, promotional materials (QR code outreach) and efforts to have foster parents speak publicly about their experiences.

The board heard that private or non‑county licensed agencies sometimes accept placements at higher rates because they operate on different rate structures; county staff said such agencies are licensed through the state and can accept children from other counties, but they did not provide contract details.

Staff also described a new house the agency will open for foster families and children. Director Hunt said the house was complete and being furnished, with a ribbon cutting planned in May 2025; staff said the house is intended to give foster parents and children a home-like setting for visits and short stays, including a playground and space for family activities.

Why it matters: Foster-home shortages affect placement options and child stability; the Duke study and expanded outreach are designed to identify feasible local steps to increase recruitment and reduce placements in emergency or out-of-county settings.

Speakers quoted directly or paraphrased at the meeting included a newly sworn board member, program supervisors and the department director. Sydney Pellegrini, introduced as a new board member and a peer support specialist, said she is “very eager to be somebody that has a voice” and is “a huge advocator” (remarks given during her introduction). Other staff recounted recruitment results from recent outreach and noted the county’s efforts to involve foster parents themselves in recruitment.","Rutherford County Department of Social Services officials reported high foster care caseloads, described local recruitment efforts and a Duke University research grant, and outlined an outreach program to boost resource/ foster parent recruitment. Staff also described supports for children and a new house to host foster families.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6594510,"Votes at a glance: agenda, minutes and adjournment approved at Rutherford County DSS meeting",3831,0,3831000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3220693-b98c274d4d67065eca7eb44a8ba6d028&start=0&end=3831","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3220693-b98c274d4d67065eca7eb44a8ba6d028/thumbnail_0.jpg","/articles/6594510/Rutherford-County/North-Carolina/Votes-at-a-glance-agenda-minutes-and-adjournment-approved-at-Rutherford-County-DSS-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6594510-dc07445fb4e30b7473bca80b2a362078/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156737&Signature=fim4LxpwD4dqoqNaclCNgZX5o9wMai07olvbjcOFNuA6WgvNd7I4piMdbQnx9gejRlzb64UVKmSAWbwQJM9Ef35LxINpdsSTK8enf1q3gMyMOecjiqmQYlpFni-eaOjpiFwl76xqEJggFxVwq8gGgOLP-1K6Jq2hXdOQks~~Qk4koaH8rSbNmnpjNzgkiKMVgfLgqxjIj9V3aHFP8r05Ls62rRLMAUXQCSWKB2HcMkBksVc~YYzTgeHTBhK4f6OJ4aTBzT30m4VDxClum-MwebIwB6vmvpmokDq1dLVIOYwPGelGJaOsNP1~EhPa8wqswHGMs~Mm-Eez3eNGOG76xg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the start of the meeting the board voted on procedural items and at the end took a motion to adjourn. Votes were taken by voice and recorded as approved; precise roll-call tallies were not provided in the meeting record.

- Agenda: The board moved and seconded a motion to accept the agenda; the chair called for the question and the board approved the agenda by voice vote.

- February 19 minutes: After confirming that the February minutes had been circulated previously, a motion to adopt the February 19 minutes was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote.

- March minutes: Board members discussed that the March 19 meeting had lacked a quorum and several members noted they had not seen the March minutes; staff confirmed the March minutes had been distributed. The board then moved to accept the March minutes that had been previously sent out; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

- Adjournment: A motion to adjourn was made, seconded and approved by voice vote.

Notes: The transcript records multiple \"aye\" responses but does not give a roll-call count or separate yes/no tallies. Where a board member said they felt \"weird\" voting on minutes for a meeting they had not attended, the chair and another member clarified that the board as a body may vote on minutes even when an individual member was absent from the original meeting. No formal contested items or split votes were recorded for the procedural items listed above.","The board approved the meeting agenda, adopted minutes for February and March (after discussion about quorum) and voted to adjourn. Results were recorded by voice vote; exact counts were not specified in the meeting transcript.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6594514,"Rutherford County DSS introduces new board member and staff; agency reports continued vacancies and hiring changes",180,327000,507000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3220693-b98c274d4d67065eca7eb44a8ba6d028&start=327&end=507","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3220693-b98c274d4d67065eca7eb44a8ba6d028/thumbnail_327000.jpg","/articles/6594514/Rutherford-County/North-Carolina/Rutherford-County-DSS-introduces-new-board-member-and-staff-agency-reports-continued-vacancies-and-hiring-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6594514-1667aa324a90fc53c30d77f7272919e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156737&Signature=TC6EYA9CY33H1rjqLuX00VCRDGh40rxLjIzCTstZWuYg-H0pdm2yWnw1Kim4uZZfxQilRI4GoIURLIbVCJg2dur8YMgn2Ww6Oiv7ErLs48RAlHByv3dYRi2AaPZC6w8Fyo0P4-8g3wMokfL3N1lvH0-ue6-SsQumHpGfjO~jdsVpZWRTv77pDqjm11p969ntx8BHr~733-s6qeTad3RiEkilKVi7alBma9hMivxGJ9L-9gsOk4wfmdZlzHeUUqkhrTIwz4bZvuuJ2izYHwyViD7MNOfzq3CPnkAW1CXZ95~MMUfsvVQIiglMmpXH7F5OwT6yUo1uYg2TngxFCLfaEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Rutherford County Department of Social Services board welcomed a new county-commissioners appointee and heard a personnel report that highlighted hiring activity, ongoing vacancies in child-protective services and recent changes to recruitment practices.

At the start of the meeting the board formally introduced Sydney Pellegrini, who was sworn in as a county-commissioners appointee. Pellegrini identified herself as a peer support specialist who has worked in Cleveland County and Rutherford County and said she is “very eager to be somebody that has a voice” and is a member of NAMI’s board of directors.

Staff introduced two recent hires: Heather Fletcher, who began work in mid‑April and has experience in property management, and Stephanie (last name not specified), who started the Monday before the meeting and whose background staff described as insurance/financial industry and family/children’s Medicaid work.

Director Hunt and HR staff reviewed the monthly personnel report (covering employee counts, comp time and vacancies). The report showed multiple vacancies in Child Protective Services (the transcript referenced five positions previously open and staff described the number as reduced during recruitment activity). Staff said several caseworker vacancies are difficult to fill because the work involves home visits and safety risks.

Board members and staff discussed comp time accrual. Staff explained that high comp balances create budget risk because accrued time must be paid out if an employee leaves; the report included an example of an employee with approximately 100 hours of comp time.

Recruitment changes were highlighted: staff said the department began actively using Indeed to advertise openings and that it had produced a noticeable increase in quality applicants, interviews and hires, including at least one candidate who accepted despite higher-paying offers elsewhere because of positive word of mouth about the agency.

Staff also detailed local retention work: quick reversals of resignations in at least one case (a worker who left for another county returned within days), crediting agency environment and quick HR response as reasons retention succeeded in that instance.

Why it matters: Staffing levels and recruitment directly affect service delivery and the department’s budget; the board is monitoring vacancies, comp time liability and recruitment performance as part of oversight of child welfare and other services.","The board welcomed appointee Sydney Pellegrini and staff introduced two recent hires. Director and staff reviewed personnel reports that showed multiple vacant social-worker positions, comp-time concerns and recent success using Indeed for recruitment.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Rutherford County DSS reports program overages, near-exhaustion of disaster assistance funds and Medicaid redeterminations

Rutherford County DSS: foster care caseloads high; county joins Duke study and expands outreach

Votes at a glance: agenda, minutes and adjournment approved at Rutherford County DSS meeting

Rutherford County DSS introduces new board member and staff; agency reports continued vacancies and hiring changes