Albany County approves budget adjustments to add juvenile justice coordinator, expand foster behavioral-health and preschool services

Albany County’s Department for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) on Thursday secured approval for multiple administrative budget adjustments and contract authorizations that will add a full‑time juvenile justice coordinator, expand behavioral‑health services in foster care, increase preschool related‑services reimbursement rates and amend funding for the county’s Healthy Families program.

DCYF staff presented the package, saying the juvenile justice coordinator position will work closely with family court and probation to place and monitor youth and to pursue diversion and therapeutic placements when appropriate. “We’re really looking at working with…probation and family court,” the DCYF presenter said. The county also authorized agreements for preschool special‑education related services and intercounty evaluation contracts that county staff said allow Albany County to provide speech, occupational and physical therapy for young children identified in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

County officials and staff framed the actions as responses to rising juvenile justice admissions and to gaps in community services. The presenter said the county’s secure‑detention capacity is strained and that nonsecure placements recently required placements outside the immediate region, including Syracuse. “There’s much more violence in the community. Our secure detention is full,” the presenter said, adding that some youth have been moved as far as Buffalo for placement. A board member asked for clarification of funding sources and the presenter said the county will seek state reimbursement where eligible but could not provide a full funding breakdown during the meeting.

The board was told DCYF received about $5,000 in revenue last year from evaluation services provided under an intercounty contract with Schenectady County. DCYF staff also described a new behavioral‑health foster‑care program intended to place youth with significant behavioral needs in therapeutic home settings rather than in secure detention. “This is actually a new program…behavioral health services for foster care,” the presenter said, adding that the program is “very good at foster care homes.”

On preschool services, staff said the county receives 55 percent reimbursement from the state for certain related services and described recent provider‑rate adjustments: county payments for related services increased from $55 to $58 on July 1, 2024, and will increase to $60 on July 1, 2025. “We increased the rate from $55 to $58… and then this July 1, we will increase it again from $58 to $60,” the presenter said.

The budget adjustments include funds to combine two prior positions into a single juvenile justice coordinator post, which staff said was created by folding funds from a youth coordinator line and a caseworker line into a position budgeted at $58,500. Staff said some remaining funds were placed into per‑diem therapy accounts to cover gaps in related services, and that the department will post the full‑time coordinator job publicly if the position is approved and not filled internally.

Board members pressed staff for clearer funding detail. One asked whether the juvenile justice coordinator position would be county funded or reimbursable; staff said they would check with finance and that reimbursement from state child‑welfare funding might apply but was not confirmed at the meeting. Another member requested vacancy and staffing information; staff said most caseworker positions were filled but that the county faces hiring challenges for licensed social workers in its mental health clinic.

DCYF staff described prevention and engagement strategies as part of the plan, including working with community groups and a program identified in the meeting as Fourth Family to recruit credible messengers and youth advisors. Staff emphasized diversion and therapeutic programming as alternatives to incarceration for younger adolescents.

Votes at the meeting were conducted by voice vote with the presiding official calling for “All those in favor? Aye. Opposed?” and declaring the motions passed. The record from the meeting did not include a roll‑call or named vote tallies for the items discussed.

Looking ahead, staff said the county is monitoring the state budget and changes in state child‑welfare policy, including elements related to “raise the age” implementation and OCFS program changes that affect Healthy Families eligibility and funding. Staff asked for time to confirm which portions of the approved adjustments will be reimbursed by state or federal sources and to provide formal budget detail to the board.

The board approved the DCYF administrative budget adjustments, preschool provider agreements and intercounty evaluation agreements, and amended the Healthy Families budget to add a family service specialist position.