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Alleghany County social services reports higher foster caseloads, heavy travel and disaster response work
Summary
Director Stacy Presto told commissioners the department served 2,789 clients in the 12‑month reporting period, averaged about 51–52 foster children per month, drove nearly 100,000 miles for client visits and led local hurricane shelter and D‑SNAP responses; commissioners thanked staff and discussed vehicle and budget implications.
Stacy Presto, identified in the packet as Alleghany County’s Director of Social Services, presented the agency’s annual operational report for July 2024–June 2025 and highlighted increased foster care placements, extensive staff travel and disaster response activities.
Presto said the department employed 32 staff members and served 2,789 clients during the 12‑month period. The office logged 5,789 phone calls and reported staff traveled a total of 99,556 miles for visits, appointments and placements. Foster care placements averaged roughly 51–52 children per month, an increase from prior years, and the department completed five adoptions and reported 19 successful reunifications during the period.
Presto summarized the department’s hurricane response work: the agency operated a shelter for two days, assisted other counties’ shelter operations by staffing shifts, distributed donated hot meals and made "grab‑and‑go" bags for affected families. D‑SNAP (disaster SNAP) was set up in October; staff approved 174 applications, provided benefits to 448 individuals and issued $110,477 in D‑SNAP benefits, Presto said. Energy assistance and disaster rental assistance were also provided, with amounts and recipient counts described in the presentation.
Presto reviewed program statistics: child support collections reported $563,213.77; Medicaid and other benefits volumes, food and nutrition benefits, subsidized childcare caseloads, program integrity savings and other unit metrics were presented in the packet. She told the board the agency passed the county audit with no findings and met most state timeliness targets for several programs.
Commissioners asked operational and budget questions: one commissioner noted two agency vehicles reached nearly 200,000 miles and asked whether maintenance covers repairs; Presto said maintenance handles most repairs but acknowledged vehicle replacement would be a budget consideration. Commissioners praised DSS staff for their year‑round work and for managing heavy caseloads and disaster response duties.
Ending: The board thanked Presto and her team; commissioners said they would consider vehicle and budgetary needs in upcoming planning. No formal motions were associated with the presentation.
