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Burke County managers propose single‑provider "vertical integration" to speed foster‑care placements
Summary
County Manager Brian Manning introduced a plan to issue an RFQ for a single, vertically integrated foster‑care provider to combine recruitment, licensing and clinical services, aiming to expand licensed homes, speed assessments and shorten time to permanency; staff will return with a detailed RFQ for the Dec. 15 meeting.
County Manager Brian Manning told the Burke County Board of Commissioners at a Dec. 1 pre‑agenda meeting that county staff will ask the board for direction to draft a request for qualifications (RFQ) to identify a single, vertically integrated foster‑care provider.
Manning said the model would centralize recruitment, licensing, training and clinical assessments so that a single provider could respond quickly to referrals and deliver on‑site services. "We're calling it vertical integration," he said, describing the approach as an effort to reduce fragmentation between public and private providers and to give foster families a "one‑stop shop" for licensing, training and clinical support.
Manning cited county data showing higher intake and longer lengths of stay in Burke County compared with state and national averages. He told the board that for certain placement groups the county observed an average length in care of roughly 1,298 days and that county intake patterns correlate geographically with local overdose hotspots from 2022–24. Manning said the intent is to increase the number of licensed local foster parents, expedite quality assessments and reduce time to permanency.
Staff emphasized the proposal is introductory; no procurement or contract award would occur without a formal competitive process. Manning said if the board supports the concept staff will draft an RFQ, solicit prequalified vendors and return with options. He said the county hopes the approach can be implemented in a budget‑neutral way, noting privately run providers may bill Medicaid for clinical services while county funds would cover non‑billable components.
DSS Director Corey Fisher Wellman, reporting later in the meeting, said the department had 187 children in foster care as of October and noted ongoing recruitment challenges for CPS social workers. Manning and Wellman said additional coordination among providers and settlement‑funded prevention programs are helping but that the RFQ is intended to address persistent placement and capacity gaps.
The board did not vote on the RFQ concept at the pre‑agenda meeting; staff will present a more detailed plan and a recommended procurement schedule at the Dec. 15 regular meeting.
