Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Durham County staff brief commissioners on child welfare roles, PathNC timeline
Loading...
Summary
Durham County Social Services presented how the county-administered, state-supervised child welfare system operates and described the new statewide intake system PathNC; the Board requested PathNC data and heard citizen concerns about Child Protective Services.
Maggie Clapp, Durham County director of Social Services, briefed the Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 5 about the roles and responsibilities within the county’s child welfare system, explaining that the system is state-supervised and county-administered.
Clapp told the Board that Durham County Social Services (DSS) receives and assesses reports of abuse, neglect and dependency, conducts Child Protective Services (CPS) investigations, files petitions and implements court orders, while District Court holds legal authority to make final custody and placement decisions. She said funding for DSS comes from a combination of State and federal sources and that the county administers services within State policy constraints.
Clapp described PathNC, a new statewide intake system mandated for counties, which standardizes CPS screening across North Carolina. She said the State’s policy sets a 45-day timeline from the intake phone call to the end of the investigation. Commissioners asked about how long children remain in DSS custody after a legal decision; Clapp said it varies and can take up to two years or longer depending on case specifics.
The briefing followed a 30-minute public comment period in which several residents voiced concerns about CPS and the Department of Social Services. The Board directed staff to provide data from PathNC and thanked the Social Services team for their work.
The Board received the report but did not take any legislative action; staff will return with requested PathNC data.