Franklin County officials flag rising costs in Children's Services Act program, outline steps to rein in residential placements

Franklin County supervisors heard a detailed update on the Children's Services Act program and were told last fiscal year'wide costs rose largely because of residential foster-care and private-day education placements.

The update, presented by Heather Kesterson of the CSA office and utilization manager Zach Clay and introduced by county finance staff, said the program serves about 199 children and costs the county roughly $7 million a year in gross expenditures. County staff said community-based services now serve the majority of children (about 43 percent) while accounting for a small share of costs, and that more expensive placements'private day school and foster-care residential placements'were driving the overall cost increases.

Why it matters: Residential and private-day placements carry higher local match rates and longer stays increase county expense. Staff told supervisors those placements also reduce the county's state reimbursement because of Medicaid offsets, creating a double hit to local funds.

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