Assembly committee recommends Children’s Cove operating budget to finance committee

The standing committee on health and human services of the Cape Cod Regional Government Assembly of Delegates voted unanimously to recommend the Children’s Cove operating budget to the finance committee on March 24, 2025.

Committee members pressed department staff about a large increase in the salaries and wages line for FY2026. Stacy Gallagher, director of the Children’s Cove program, said the spike reflects several discrete factors: a long-vacant grant-funded mental-health position that had been temporarily covered by general-fund staff in FY2023, implementation of a countywide compensation study on July 1, 2023, a staff promotion to a manager role, and higher group health insurance enrollment that raised fringe-benefit costs. “The county compensation study ... rerated all positions, giving increases to almost every position in addition to, COLA steps and merit pay for that year,” Gallagher said.

The discussion clarified how grant-funded positions affect the budget. Gallagher said the mental-health position that resigned in 2022 had been fully grant-funded; general‑fund staff were assigned temporarily to cover grant obligations, leaving the FY2023 grant salary line lower than usual. She told delegates the open mental-health position remained vacant for roughly seven months and is again being recruited as a grant-funded role. Gallagher also said the program currently has nine full‑time Barnstable County employees and one full‑time nurse funded through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Delegates asked about recruiting difficulty for the mental‑health post. Gallagher said the program has advertised broadly for about seven months with limited success and is not even reaching candidates who hold the required licenses. “We’re just not getting anybody that’s qualified or even has the basic qualifications, to be licensed to do the work,” she said.

After the discussion, Delegate Tai moved to recommend the Children’s Cove budget as outlined in ordinance number 3; Delegate Frizzell seconded. Clerk Clark Fletcher called the roll: Delegates Frederickson, Green, Gallagher, Chair O’Malley and Vice Chair Tai all voted yes. The committee’s recommendation to forward the Children’s Cove operating budget to the finance committee carried 5-0.

The committee’s conversation flagged two items for follow-up at finance: a request from delegates that staff provide a deeper line‑by‑line explanation of the salary and fringe increases, and continued attention to recruiting for the open mental‑health position. The committee did not change the ordinance or specify a revised appropriation amount during the meeting.