Swain County DSS reports rise in child custody cases, outlines benefits caseload and staff vacancies

Swain County Department of Social Services presented its annual report for 2024 at the board work session, reporting increases in some child-protection metrics and continuing vacancies in key benefit positions.

The DSS representative told commissioners the agency received 297 child protective services reports last year and accepted 139 for further action. “At the December in 2024, we had a total of 61 children in our custody,” the representative said. From Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024, the department took 28 children into custody, which the presenter said is “one of the highest numbers that we've had probably within the past 4 to 5 years.” The presenter said many of the new custody cases involved large sibling groups and that the most common issues were domestic violence, substance abuse and mental-health concerns.

The report said DSS completed three adoptions in 2024 and had six children legally free for adoption. In the permanency-planning (foster-care) program the presenter reported five youth aged out of the system and one child moved to guardianship; six of the youth who aged out continued with the county’s 18-to-21 program.

In adult-protective-services work, the presenter said 22 reports were received and 41 of those were accepted for assessment; for cases screened out the department offered outreach services and recorded roughly 81 families served through adult-protection outreach and assessments.

On economic benefits, the presenter reported 6,637 Medicaid cases open in 2024 and 3,280 new Medicaid applications. Food and nutrition services (SNAP) totaled 898 cases last year with 805 recertifications and 1,116 new applications. The presenter said total benefits issued in 2024 were $3,587,628. The child-support unit reported 304 cases with collections totaling $291,308.20 for the year.

The presenter also described program changes affecting transportation services under Medicaid, noting some trips are moving from county DSS coordination to managed-care vendor arrangements on recipients’ Medicaid cards.

The report closed with staffing needs: the agency listed several vacancies including two income-maintenance caseworkers for Medicaid, one income-maintenance worker for food stamps, an income-maintenance supervisor for Medicaid/child and family services, one investigator social worker, one permanency-planning social worker and one CPS supervisor. The presenter offered to provide application-eligibility guidelines separately when asked by a commissioner.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about Work First eligibility, foster-care counts and how local caseloads compare with neighboring counties. One commissioner noted that foster-case counts (and particularly large sibling placements) drive staffing needs, while another asked the presenter to supply income-eligibility guidelines for Work First to a commissioner who had requested them.

The presentation was followed by general board business.

Ending: The board did not take formal action at the meeting on DSS staffing or program changes; commissioners said they will continue budget discussions in follow-up meetings.