DSS reports PATH and C rollout timeline, custody and adoption figures, and disaster-relief funds available

Keri Gerald, director of Alexander County Department of Social Services, briefed the board on child-welfare system changes, staffing, caseloads and community services during the county meeting.

Gerald highlighted PATH and C, the statewide document-management and child-welfare platform intended to standardize screening and casework across all 100 North Carolina counties. She said Alexander County is in Region 3 and is scheduled to go live in August; 11 counties had already gone live earlier in June.

Gerald also flagged two bills pending in the legislature: House Bill 612 (the "Fostering Care in North Carolina Act") and a federal bill the presenter identified as H.R. 1 (referred to as the "1 Big Beautiful Bill Act"). She stated both measures remain pending in the Senate and that details could change, so the department will return with specifics if the bills pass.

Operational metrics reported to the board included a vacancy rate of 8%, 45 children currently in custody, nine children in the Links program, three young adults in the 18-to-21 program, two finalized adoptions since the last report and nine adoptions in progress. Gerald said nine parents are enrolled in MAP/Deciding Together classes. For adult protective services the department is handling 12 wards.

Gerald noted the availability of disaster-fund relief tied to Hurricane Helene for eligible needs such as heat-pump repairs and, in some cases, hotel stays; she invited residents to contact DSS to see if they qualify. She also listed recent hires by name, including social workers and investigators, and described renovations to the DSS front desk area to address ergonomic concerns.

The board did not take formal action on these reports; staff said they would provide updates as PATH and C rollout approaches and when legislative changes become final.