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Children's Services Act: county coordinator warns role overstretched, recommends dedicated staffing
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Summary
The county's CSA coordinator told supervisors that CSA serves children from schools, DSS, CSB and court services, that FY24 spending was about $664,300 (state $441K; locality $223K), and said she cannot meet all state compliance duties while carrying other DSS responsibilities; staff requested an additional position to achieve compliance.
The Children's Services Act (CSA) coordinator told supervisors that CSA funding supports children across schools, social services, behavioral health and court systems and that current staffing prevents full compliance with state requirements.
"One of the things I want to make sure everyone understands is the Children's Services Act or CSA is under the umbrella of DSS. ... 31% of the CSA funding are actually school cases," the coordinator said, explaining that private day placements and specialized education placements are a substantial portion of CSA expenditures.
The coordinator said fiscal 2024 CSA spending totaled $664,301, with state funding of roughly $441,000 and the locality paying about $223,000. The county is preparing a self‑assessment audit due April 15, 2025, and staff are updating policy and procedure manuals to align with state requirements.
Staffing constraints: The coordinator said she is unable to complete all CSA responsibilities while also covering multiple DSS duties. The county is seeking an additional staff position to redistribute responsibilities and allow the coordinator to meet mandatory CSA accountabilities.
Ending: The coordinator said the CPMT and FAPT teams have been rebuilt to full membership and staff will continue to pursue policy compliance and available funding to reduce local CSA costs; the staffing request will be considered during budget deliberations.
