DSS presents 2024 annual report: Medicaid coverage, child welfare and adult services figures

Port Fisher Weldon, director of Burke County Department of Social Services, presented the department's 2024 annual report on April 7, summarizing Medicaid activity, child-welfare work, adult services and other program metrics.

Key figures presented

- Medicaid: an average of roughly 565 Medicaid applications per month in 2024 and some 2,000 recertifications per month; at year-end the county had about 28,538 Medicaid participants (about 35% of the county). The director said total Medicaid claims amounted to approximately $228,000,000 for the county.

- Special assistance and Medicaid-linked benefits: DSS administers programs to support people in licensed facilities and eligible residents at home; special-assistance-at-home caseload was 104 in 2024.

- Work First (employment services): the county's Work First caseload has declined from approximately 500 five years ago to 66 cases, reflecting lower enrollment.

- Child support: Burke County collected roughly $4,000,000 in child-support payments in 2024; administration is outsourced to Veritas with county oversight and monthly reviews.

- Childcare: DSS served 561 children through childcare subsidy programs in 2024.

- Child welfare and foster care: during 2024, 236 children experienced foster care at some point; 38 children entered foster care and 58 exited via reunification, adoption, guardianship or other permanency outcomes; 34 adoptions were completed.

- Child protective services: DSS received 1,526 reports in 2024; 994 reports were screened in for further action. The department provided in-home CPS services to 55 families during the year.

- Adult protective services and guardianship: DSS accepted 144 adult-protective reports in 2024 and served as guardian for 66 wards (with some wards placed under a contract with Hope for the Future).

Board action

The board voted to accept the DSS annual report as presented; the vote recorded in the meeting was 4-0.