Community Human Services Director Tabitha told the Douglas County Board of Commissioners that the Minnesota Paid Family and Medical Leave program, effective Jan. 1, is creating immediate staffing challenges for county social‑services work.

"This program provides partial wage replacement for up to 20 weeks of job protected leave annually for serious medical issues, bonding with a new child, or caring for family," Tabitha said, and she told commissioners the benefit can replace roughly 55% to 90% of a worker's wages depending on eligibility. Tabitha said a 20‑week absence for a social‑worker could represent about $26,000 in base wage savings the county would not spend while an employee is on leave.

The county provides a range of mandated services that require trained staff, Tabitha told the board, and some program units have licensing and training constraints that limit short‑term internal transfers. She described options under consideration — using unspent salary budgets while employees are on leave, adjusting current staff assignments, or partnering with neighboring counties in a shared‑staffing model — and asked the board to authorize hiring up to two additional staff during 2026 "to meet basic needs of our staff" while implementation models are refined.

Commissioners asked how many leaves are currently expected and whether the state pays salaries. Tabitha said the state administers eligibility and will issue leave payments directly to qualified employees but does not manage local staff assignments; that means the county must plan for coverage even when leave payments come from the state. Tabitha also reported the county has 87 families enrolled in a related childcare assistance program and that the county had not experienced an immediate financial impact from recent state action affecting childcare subsidies.

A commissioner moved to authorize Tabitha to hire up to two temporary staff, the motion was seconded and carried on a roll call vote. The authorization is limited to 2026 while the county develops longer‑term staffing strategies.

Next steps: county human services staff may proceed with hiring under the board authorization and continue discussing shared‑service and internal staffing alternatives.