The Wayne County Commission approved the health and human services committee'recommended awards for the Youth Assistance Program (YAP) while extensively questioning county staff about award methodology, oversight, and reporting.

Commissioners said they were concerned that some providers received similar not-to-exceed contract amounts even though projected caseloads varied widely. Commissioner Clemente and others asked when commissioners would see performance and utilization data that would make award comparisons "apples to apples." Staff from Juvenile Youth Services — chief program officer Nathaniel McQueen and division director Portia Carlisle — and Cecily Hoagland, director of administration, explained the RFP and scoring process and said the county asked providers to scale back projected caseloads to match available funding. Hoagland said proposals came in totaling roughly $8.5 million while the department had $3 million budgeted, so the team recommended awards that fit budget constraints: vendors who proposed more than $1,000,000 were capped at $250,000 per year in the awards, and one provider received a $500,000 allocation pursuant to ordinance referencing a specific funding stream.

Hoagland said the county will provide an annual consolidated report for fiscal year 2025 in March and agreed to quarterly reports for newer providers. Fiscal advisor Terrence Adams noted budget instructions require historical reporting on YAP for FY23'FY25 and that a report was due; staff said they expected the report in January and additional departmental reporting by March.

Officials described contract amounts as "not to exceed" figures tied to services actually delivered; county staff also said audits and KPI monitoring are part of contract management and that corrective action plans will be used where providers fall short. Commissioners asked for a rubric and baseline metrics so the commission can evaluate program impact and consider county funding adjustments in future budgets.