County child‑welfare staff say only one respite bed is available; contract cost seen as cheaper than overtime

At the Sept. 3 Housing and Economic Development Committee meeting, Child Protective Services supervisor Jen Brown described a long‑standing decline in contracted respite and nonsecure detention beds and said the county currently maintains a single respite bed through Cayuga Centers.

Brown said the respite bed is used for crisis situations such as severe parent‑child conflict or when a foster placement cannot be arranged immediately. "We literally have 1 bed now," Brown said, and added that the county previously maintained a broader set of contracted respite beds that has since downsized.

County staff explained cost differences to the committee. A departmental representative said that since 2023 the county has used 67 days of respite care; providing 24‑hour in‑house oversight with overtime staff would have cost roughly $264,000 based on overtime estimates, while a contract for a respite bed runs about $128,000 per year. The presenter summarized: paying overtime for continuous 24‑hour supervision is substantially more expensive than an annual contract for an established respite bed.

Committee members asked for clarification about location and usage; staff said the Cayuga Centers bed has most recently been used in Auburn and is located at a small group home operated by Cayuga Centers. Staff also said the contract for the respite bed began in 2023 and has reduced reliance on out‑of‑county placements that require law‑enforcement transport.

Staff emphasized that the bed is intended for short‑term crisis respite only and that the county lacks multiple short‑term crisis beds for older teens and young adults (age 18), a gap raised later in the meeting during youth homelessness discussion.

No formal policy change or vote was taken; the presentation was informational.