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Clay County board approves hiring program coordinator for Child and Teen Checkup amid regional board changes
Summary
Commissioners approved filling a program-coordinator vacancy for the Child and Teen Checkup program as regional public-health boards shrink from four counties to two; staff said funding details for 2026 remain to be finalized with state MDH.
The Clay County Board of Commissioners on March 4 approved hiring a program coordinator to replace an employee leaving at the end of the month for the Child and Teen Checkup program, county staff said.
Public-health staff explained the region’s Community Health Board (CHB) is reconfiguring: two counties (Otter Tail and Wilkin) will form a separate CHB, leaving Becker and Clay in the current CHB beginning in 2026. "The structure remains the same for 2025. Correct. The 4 counties. And then in 2026, it'll be Becker and Clay," a commissioner paraphrased during the discussion.
County staff said they will work with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) through May to clarify the funding streams and the effect of the CHB change on program financing. Staff recommended hiring now to maintain program continuity for 2025 while the future funding picture is developed. They noted the county covers four counties for the remainder of 2025 and may reduce to two counties in 2026.
Commissioners discussed backfill and the option that Becker County could assume the lead for the position. One commissioner said hiring now provides an option to move an internal candidate into the role and preserves service delivery. The motion to hire the program coordinator and backfill as needed passed on a voice vote; the board recorded "motion carried."
