Burke County leaders on Monday previewed a proposal to vet a single-source foster-care provider aimed at increasing local foster placements and reducing time children spend in care.

County manager Brian Manning told the Board of Commissioners the December presentation is a preview to seek direction rather than to request immediate action. "Not asking the board to take any action at this point," Manning said, describing a vertically integrated model that would consolidate recruitment, licensing, training and clinical assessments under one contracted provider.

The proposal responds to county data Manning said show Burke County’s foster-care intake and placement metrics exceed state and federal averages. Manning told commissioners that across placement types the county had an average length in care of 1,298 days, a figure he said was substantially longer than regional and state benchmarks and that contributes to higher counts of children in care.

Manning and staff argued that a single provider operating from within the county would improve access to clinical services for parents and children, reduce fragmentation caused by multiple out-of-county vendors, and create economies of scale that could make county recruitment and licensing efforts more effective. "We want to increase the number of parents," Manning said, adding the county hopes to do so "in a budget neutral way."

Corey Fisher Wellman, director of Burke County Department of Social Services, joined the presentation and summarized department operations and pressures. He reported a 7 percent vacancy rate—"We had 14 open positions, which is a 7 percent vacancy rate"—and described workforce challenges for CPS social workers and the effect of a new statewide document-management system on report volumes.

Manning said county staff would draft an RFQ (request for qualifications) if the board supports moving forward; the RFQ would seek providers able to recruit and license foster homes, provide clinical and behavioral assessments, perform drug screening and deliver other services required under federal and state law. Manning said the county’s goal is faster, higher-quality placement and shorter time to permanency for children in care.

No formal board action was requested during the pre-agenda meeting; Manning said staff will return with more detailed RFQ materials and options at the Dec. 15 regular meeting for the board to consider.

Why it matters: Foster-care placement shortages and long stays in care can increase costs for county social-services systems and, according to county staff, reduce the likelihood of timely permanency for children. The county framed the single-provider model as a targeted, procurement-driven approach to concentrate expertise and improve local access to services.

What’s next: If commissioners direct staff to proceed, the county will prepare and post an RFQ and later return with recommended vendors and contract options for formal consideration.