Career Support Solutions told the legislature Tuesday the nonprofit needs additional county support to sustain long‑term vocational services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The agency’s director described programs that include school‑to‑work internships, long‑term job coaching and a volunteer thrift store that funds operations.

The agency said it serves roughly 100 Putnam County residents annually and that it currently raises about $340,000 a year to meet its budget. Director (name given in presentation) said the agency received $15,000 in county support during the current year and requested an increase to $30,000 to better support staff and program continuity. “For $15,000… that means it's a $150 per client,” the director said, noting staff provide sustained services for many years.

Legislators discussed the county’s sub‑contingency fund that holds money set aside to support outside agencies, and several members expressed support for the request as a targeted investment in services that the county itself does not provide. The committee voted to prefile the request to the full legislature for consideration in August.

The nonprofit said additional county funding would reduce the time staff spend fundraising and allow more programmatic focus on job placement and long‑term support. The director also offered to provide the legislature with a more detailed program budget and participant counts to inform future funding decisions.