Commissioners renew multiple Children & Youth and juvenile-probation contracts, increase one community-alternatives budget line

Lawrence County commissioners on Aug. 5 approved a set of Children & Youth Services (CYS) and juvenile-probation renewals and a budget adjustment for community‑alternatives services. CYS Director and juvenile-probation staff presented a group of six resolutions (Resolutions 231–236) that included renewed provider agreements with local and regional agencies: Cray Youth and Family Services (in-home services and homelessness/housing supports), the Bear Foundation (foster care), Children’s Home of Pittsburgh (foster care), Lutheran Service Society of Western Pennsylvania (foster care), and Corasoft (electronic-monitoring services for adjudicated youth). Staff said some foster-care providers requested rate increases; the county negotiated smaller increases in most cases (example: Bear Foundation received a 2% increase rather than a 9–10% request; Children’s Home of Pittsburgh negotiated to 7% where it had asked for 12%). Separately, Resolution 227 adjusted the fiscal‑year 2024–25 community-alternatives allocation, increasing a contract from $150,000 to $300,000 paid from human-services block grant funding; CYS staff said the dollars will expand case management and assistance services in the community alternatives program and do not come from the county general fund. All six contract renewals and the budget adjustment were approved on unanimous roll calls. County staff noted that some provider placements have been minimal in recent years (for example, one child placed at Children’s Home of Pittsburgh in the last three years) and that certain programs are fee‑for‑service or program‑funded under the county human services block grant. Ending: The board authorized the renewals and budget amendment; staff will execute contracts and implement the increased allocation for community-alternatives case-management expansion in the coming fiscal year.