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DSS reports rising foster-care placements, staffing challenges and concerns about SNAP contingency funding
Summary
Burke County Department of Social Services reported 194 children in foster care at the snapshot date, persistent vacancy and caseload issues, and warned that federal SNAP contingency plans tied to the federal shutdown could reduce benefits to 50% for November without further action.
Burke County’s Department of Social Services briefed commissioners on staffing, foster‑care placements and SNAP benefits during the Nov. 3 pre‑agenda meeting.
Corey (DSS) said the department had roughly 16 current vacancies (about an 8% vacancy rate) and is pursuing aggressive hiring measures, including sign‑on bonuses and reclassification of positions to reduce travel and caseload burden. He described changes after the county shifted to a statewide intake system (Path and C), which raised CPS referral counts in some 30‑day windows from 99 to 161.
On foster care, DSS reported a point‑in‑time count of 194 children in care and said the county is increasingly placing youth in kinship arrangements rather than institutional settings. Board members asked for a breakdown of out‑of‑county placements; staff said they would provide that figure before the regular meeting.
Corey also highlighted food‑assistance concerns. He said the county serves “just under 11,000 recipients” across SNAP cases (about 5,600 cases) and described a potential short‑term contingency in benefit distribution tied to federal actions: "basically, all recipients across the country will get about 50% of their allotment that they should get for the month of November only," a staff speaker said, summarizing federal contingency planning in response to the federal shutdown and related litigation. County staff said they were awaiting final state guidance on timing and logistics.
The board voted 5‑0 to accept the DSS report and asked staff to return with more granular data on out‑of‑county placements and the financial implications of elevated travel and placement costs.
Next steps: DSS will provide the requested placement counts and continue recruitment and process changes intended to reduce caseload travel time and improve staffing stability.
