[{"_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",6477778,"mediaKeyId","5711288-a4314ae86e21800ab4608a3750085929","parentId",5711288,"title","Burke County foster-care social worker describes high-stakes daily work as county seeks more placements and support","audioSeconds",1575,"startMs",1925000,"endMs",3500000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711288-a4314ae86e21800ab4608a3750085929&start=1925&end=3500","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711288-a4314ae86e21800ab4608a3750085929/thumbnail_1925000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6477778/Burke-County/North-Carolina/Burke-County-foster-care-social-worker-describes-high-stakes-daily-work-as-county-seeks-more-placements-and-support","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477778-58a96a5938dc0073388950f22564ff56/orig.mp4?Expires=1770980891&Signature=MEOYwbXGYJMCTCOPga9xcm20tsBoQiV77AIBzw7w9ZWaFQvCANX9UhwFn6EhVLpVtsoeVUoegg6IsdG6e19fUPJEevfgysPHgHqf9qLsqom8o6YM17~DjAM~NkrZQhmqGghRooitv~Km8T3GzwyiX44rLagebbyp9h2c05-yQxXs02U9DpHRBPL5Q6Y6ME9WPrmhmkApHRAQcyNJTiLYui4QyK89ih1-8rChweey6SKmo8PSA8e1uVufyyhiNVAm7WNqqUNYSDx~q~rxcgLWSw8k-Fli1C7as3dOgiKcyAutZVwWgBuyN26TcVwtH-BPqIZpCNFj-vtGsXlCV2uzWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Burke County, NC","date","2025-09-03T02:14:50.58Z","article","At a Sept. 2 Burke County Board of Commissioners pre-agenda meeting, social services staff presented monthly operations and a foster-care overview; foster-care social worker Garrett Smith described the day-to-day realities of working with children in care and adoption processes.

Corey Fisher Wellman, director of Burke County Department of Social Services (DSS), opened the monthly report and highlighted staffing and caseload numbers. When the report was prepared the department had 11 openings with 4 offers pending, translating to an approximate vacancy rate of 3.5% once offers were finalized. Fisher Wellman said the department’s CPS (child protective services) reporting averages about 65 reports a month, with screening-out practices closing about 60% of initial reports. He noted a prior spike in caseloads (a high of 306 in February 2024) and said work to reduce that backlog has brought caseloads to more manageable levels.

DSS reported 186 children currently in foster care (figures presented for the reporting month: 6 entries, 4 exits, net gain of 2). The director and social worker framed foster care work as both labor-intensive and emotionally demanding, requiring coordination with courts, Medicaid liaisons, guardians ad litem, recruiters and external providers.

Garrett Smith, introduced during the report as a foster-care/adoptions social worker, told commissioners: “It can be very difficult. It can be very emotional. It can be very draining. But in the end, it is worth it.” He outlined typical duties: court reports, monthly day sheets, child-family-team meetings, permanency planning reviews every three months, and Ryland’s Law home visits during trial home placements.

Smith explained placement levels used by DSS: regular family placement, level 2 therapeutic placements (including IAFT — intensive, single-child placements), level 3, and psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTFs) for high-intensity needs. He described the interstate placement process (ICPC) that allows children to be placed with prospective parents in other states and noted ICPC processing times commonly take up to six months, though times can vary.

Smith gave a recent case example: a child who had been visiting a pre‑adoptive parent out-of-state for more than two years and had moved into that home after ICPC approval was removed from that placement by the other county’s DSS following new allegations; the child was returned to Burke County DSS and experienced a severe panic attack that required hospital care before a new placement was found. Smith used that example to illustrate unpredictability in adoption work and the need for responsive emergency placement capacity.

Smith also described adoption processing steps: adoption assistance paperwork review, adoption committee review, petition filing, and post-petition steps leading to adoption day. He emphasized the role social workers often play in providing basic care and stability—transportation, attending school ceremonies, and offering continuity—especially for children who have “no one.”

Commissioners acknowledged the emotional difficulty of the work and discussed the possibility of providing this training or a condensed version to school personnel to improve awareness and detection. No formal action was taken; the DSS monthly operations report was accepted for the agenda as presented.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","September Pre-Agenda Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","DSS staff told Burke County commissioners on Sept. 2 that 186 children are in foster care and described staffing and case-load improvements, while a foster-care social worker provided a first‑hand account of the job’s demands and recent emergency placement work.","taxTitle","Burke County, North Carolina","taxId",51046,"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},6477782,"Burke County commissioners authorize county manager to sign opioid settlement documents to access additional funds",310,1510000,1820000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711288-a4314ae86e21800ab4608a3750085929&start=1510&end=1820","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711288-a4314ae86e21800ab4608a3750085929/thumbnail_1510000.jpg","/articles/6477782/Burke-County/North-Carolina/Burke-County-commissioners-authorize-county-manager-to-sign-opioid-settlement-documents-to-access-additional-funds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477782-092e3b09c7414f00b4f27e0deddaa4b5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770980891&Signature=b2RV0bAj4jLrCclzfcXpodeXKqD-3YQ8avEmFozqYmlyZKWvVniwtnJbBXOsaTv38TW0Mqz3rHlIvv4zvfbmAaVwuWwuUJjU4EwRDEwoLvcfkYsXhd~pPzIVYlXt0x-K60w9Ssp74NXJ-CajqvEF29mhSCpv0m9vG8nQ39YNfIZbyp172aPy3Ym5908EhMa03E~7rtb8ZqLkuMQLuuo0P5uckcHql31VVEKbfaGTxhWy9InrPPXbMTJTrXAl3qUOFJq9DqLX2rmeq8ZeCyCRZZlID5VdQDfc3Gg40DC4~e5Z9meb-qoJ-07oBxd8Kodpax1I0l8yRHFQCrKb7TC7IA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Burke County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 2 authorized the county manager to sign onto supplemental opioid manufacturer settlement agreements and documents tied to the Purdue Pharma Chapter 11 plan so the county may access additional opioid abatement funds.

The authorization follows an update from Dr. Katie Samuels, who briefed commissioners on the settlement framework. Samuels said Burke County earlier joined an MOA that distributed national manufacturer settlement funds, and later signed a first supplemental agreement that added several pharmacy and manufacturer defendants. She described a new supplemental agreement (SAF‑3) that, if enough counties join, would route additional money under the original MOA rules (15% to the state, 85% to counties) and a Purdue/Sackler Chapter 11 resolution that would add further funding if the county votes to accept the bankruptcy plan and join the direct-governmental settlement (GISA).

Samuels told the board the three waves of settlement activity plus the Purdue payments would increase Burke County’s 18-year opioid abatement receipts from about $24 million to roughly $28.2 million. She noted deadlines for local action: a vote on the Purdue Chapter 11 reorganization plan and submission of the GISA by Sept. 30, and the SAAF‑3 sign-on by Oct. 8. The settlements are governed by the county’s original MOA and funding is restricted to opioid abatement uses.

Commissioner David Stroud moved adoption of the resolution (numbered in meeting materials as 2025‑29) authorizing Burke County to enter the secondary opioid manufacturer settlements, to approve SAAF‑3, and to approve the Purdue bankruptcy plan and related settlement agreements; the motion also authorized the county manager to execute associated documents subject to county attorney review. The motion passed.

The resolution delegates authority to the county manager to execute settlement forms so that the county can meet the external sign‑on deadlines and begin receiving allocations under the settlement schedules. Samuels and staff said the money must be deposited into the county’s special revenue fund and be used only for opioid abatement, per the original MOA language presented to the board.

No formal amendment to the scope of eligible uses was proposed at the meeting. Commissioners asked no follow-up questions during the presentation and recorded no dissent during the vote.

The county will next complete required paperwork and legal review to finalize sign-on and then await scheduled settlement distributions under the various settlement schedules.","The Burke County Board of Commissioners authorized the county manager to sign agreements to join supplemental opioid manufacturer settlements and Purdue Pharma bankruptcy payouts, enabling the county to access additional abatement funds projected to raise total opioid-related receipts to roughly $28.2 million over 18 years.",{"_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},6477769,"Votes at a glance: Burke County pre‑agenda meeting actions (Sept. 2, 2025)",4640,204000,4844000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711288-a4314ae86e21800ab4608a3750085929&start=204&end=4844","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711288-a4314ae86e21800ab4608a3750085929/thumbnail_204000.jpg","/articles/6477769/Burke-County/North-Carolina/Votes-at-a-glance-Burke-County-preagenda-meeting-actions-Sept-2-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477769-5d165f5222bd6e074dd9b598c89adae5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770980891&Signature=Se2kEuqYCyPmx7D1tcSqTrXCeTeBCLpipTA4Fn1E8qSWMzJEaXwqw4UJqI6BhqFmm8SeOyUoXkl1Ck75uTd6RA~MDzMhlV0NqBIfUcFNcQXFDrr0l0H8bh14G0nSTM5GPlzRICPJwWIZ-rgSyAMsplvw5~yMDO1B~N7qd1vkR4-jCHOa3ViUf0KiIJ3dI9l0lXssGIpML8PV1PvxCndtFWr2L7R5Yl4tBZ3IsKasC2JjvRx6duNS2ey3uo1SpfBs9h-lJkexR9DRgTEc6W0sWq5hhWuMRKHh1zOi0A70vXpHK75RLvAVQxUOMvoj0rkT2aAx4sCdmp3169L9ghzNmw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","This “Votes at a glance” item summarizes formal motions and recorded outcomes taken during the Burke County Board of Commissioners pre‑agenda meeting on Sept. 2, 2025. It lists motions that reached a formal vote and the outcomes recorded in the meeting transcript.

- Approval of the pre‑agenda meeting agenda: Motion to approve was made and passed; clerk recorded the vote as 5‑0 in favor.

- Resolution authorizing opioid settlement participation (Resolution 2025‑29): Motion to adopt (moved by Commissioner David Stroud) passed; the board authorized the county manager to sign required settlement documents (see full article on the opioid settlements for details). The transcript records the motion and passage; an explicit roll-call tally is not provided in the transcript materials for this motion.

- Addition of Citizens Academy applicants: Motion to add Joseph Winkler and Meg Petit to the fall 2025 Citizens Academy class passed; clerk recorded the vote as 5‑0 in favor.

- Acceptance of the DSS monthly operations report: Motion to accept the DSS monthly operations report as presented was made and adopted; transcript records a motion and vote—no clear numerical tally is provided in the transcript excerpts.

- Courthouse roof partial replacement bid award: Motion to award a partial courthouse roof replacement contract to Johnson Roofing Incorporated, not to exceed $89,871, passed with the clerk recording the vote as 5‑0 in favor. The board authorized the county manager to execute the contract subject to county attorney review.

- Motion to adjourn: Motion to adjourn passed; clerk recorded the vote as 5‑0.

Items discussed but left on the regular meeting agenda (no final vote at the pre‑agenda meeting) included appointment and reappointment items, planning and revaluation task force appointments, animal advisory board rules and other consent and decision agenda items.

The board took no executive‑session action at this pre‑agenda meeting and made no changes to existing county policy during the session summarized here.","Summary of formal motions and recorded outcomes at the Burke County Board of Commissioners pre‑agenda meeting, including agenda approval, opioid settlement authorization, Citizens Academy additions and a courthouse roof bid award.",{"_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},6477774,"Burke County recognizes 4-H achievements, schedules proclamation for National 4-H Week",178,302000,480000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5711288-a4314ae86e21800ab4608a3750085929&start=302&end=480","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5711288-a4314ae86e21800ab4608a3750085929/thumbnail_302000.jpg","/articles/6477774/Burke-County/North-Carolina/Burke-County-recognizes-4-H-achievements-schedules-proclamation-for-National-4-H-Week","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6477774-88eca18a6cd54502c1bc8f00d7a2cd6f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770980891&Signature=O3KvPMN9uqjt1q1YegVhurzSQJtMG2rgFJfVjO7l28ShPk~iRAZeWNqvF8OzGyKNH~l14mhE5BJrn6LDb1KhOLc2QYEOtkj9DuLXcRni9vhFkzjaeh4ZNn1-mbfJYYn~gRxkYLjHsEEB9G2ik3uFFQiz7HesFPiwza9E0QMO5SiSYVL1PgWfHdy-NIOpYyVPheJydiyMcY1pbe--h2bDfg0M-NR1u-ly7GMbEoJa51KTPFCFWP9N94Y9ozkijOCGqN6~c5Wiw-~Mpi~qntmlw7cPgxpcqNmiOO7wS4Oxcz14x4xVgLJDXYdNNMFsBsPNOloOH~oABlGtyVr1sWpYmQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Nikki Carpenter, Burke County 4‑H agent, briefed the Burke County Board of Commissioners on Sept. 2 about the local 4‑H program’s activities and recent state-level competition results. The board placed a proclamation declaring National 4‑H Week on its regular meeting agenda.

Carpenter explained 4‑H’s youth development mission (head, heart, hands, and health) and described local delivery modes: 4‑H school enrichment, community clubs and “spin” (special interest) clubs, community outreach and fair activities, project books, public speaking, horse and livestock programs, shooting sports, healthy living, junior beekeeping, sewing, and career/college readiness programming.

She listed recent state-level recognitions: Burke County’s horse-bowl team placed fifth in the state (team members named), Addie Fulbright won a state Aerie award and earned a national trip to National 4‑H Congress, and multiple youth (Ellie Hudson, Aviana Clark, Emma Oakley, Kaylee Hoyle, Emily Hall, Joey Morrison, Hazel Cole, Hannah Cole, Ruby, Madison Pryor, Addie Fulbright) received district/state awards or recognition; Ellie Hudson placed first in junior photography in the state horse show. Carpenter also noted a Burke County volunteer leader, Lisa Hamlin, was inducted into the North Carolina 4‑H Hall of Fame.

Commissioners asked about program size; Carpenter said Burke County averages about 200 routinely active registered club members and reaches roughly 2,000 people indirectly through school and outreach activities. The board retained the proclamation for National 4‑H Week (first school week in October) on the upcoming regular meeting agenda.","County staff and Burke County 4‑H agent Nikki Carpenter presented an overview of 4‑H programs and state-level award winners; commissioners kept a proclamation for National 4‑H Week on the regular meeting agenda.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Burke County foster-care social worker describes high-stakes daily work as county seeks more placements and support

Burke County commissioners authorize county manager to sign opioid settlement documents to access additional funds

Votes at a glance: Burke County pre‑agenda meeting actions (Sept. 2, 2025)

Burke County recognizes 4-H achievements, schedules proclamation for National 4-H Week