Clay County social services reports steady caseloads, flags state program implementation delays

Clay County social services leaders summarized 2024 program activity on April 8 and told the County Board that while many program areas have stable capacity, several state-led changes are creating administrative burdens and service delays.

Quinn (Social services staff) opened the departmental update and turned to Jessica Mickelson, who oversees the county isability Services licensing work, and Holly Wanner, supervisor of the home and community-based disability services unit, to present program-by-program figures and operational concerns.

Jessica Mickelson, Disability Services Division, said Clay County had 58 family adult foster care (AFC) homes with a total licensed capacity of 108 beds; 17 of those beds were currently open and two new AFC homes were in the licensing process. She reported nine AFC licenses closed in 2024 (six voluntary closures, two revocations and one provider who moved out of the county) and five AFC homes opened in 2024. For corporate foster care, the county has 121 licensed homes with a total bed capacity of 325; of those 325 beds, 311 are licensed for adults and 14 are licensed for children.

Mickelson said the county changed its AFC intake approach in 2023 nd refined it in 2024 to prioritize placements that meet local resident needs rather than accepting all new applications. "We started focusing more on the capacity needs of Clay County residents," she said,…