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Hancock County JFS director reports foster‑care caseloads, projections and staff change
Summary
Job & Family Services Director Randy Galbraith told commissioners his fiscal officer resigned and provided detailed foster‑care placement and cost projections; SNAP projections were not yet available and an executive session on personnel and real estate followed with no action announced.
Hancock County Job & Family Services Director Randy Galbraith told commissioners April 21 that his fiscal officer has resigned and that he will cover the role on an interim basis while a permanent replacement is sought.
Galbraith presented the department’s financial position, foster‑care placement totals and cost projections for 2026. The materials attached to the meeting record show year‑to‑date foster care placements and invoiced totals, breakdowns by placement type (family foster home, treatment foster care, group homes, residential care) and a posted set of revenue estimates and a projected net funding shortfall. Galbraith said SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) projections were not available in time for the meeting but are expected next month.
Why it matters: The county’s JFS budget carries large, variable costs tied to out‑of‑county placements and purchased care. Commissioners heard that purchased‑care projections and placement counts are significant line items in the department’s 2026 budget planning.
What the record shows: Attachment pages in the meeting packet (included in the transcript) list detailed placement statistics through March 31, 2026, including monthly placement invoices and provider rate tables. The transcript and attachments list several blank or not‑specified cells for future months and state that detailed placement logs are available upon request. Galbraith requested an executive session related to employee discipline; the board entered executive session at 11:54 a.m. and left at 12:21 p.m. The transcript records no subsequent public action following that session.
Next steps: The administration will continue interim staffing coverage for fiscal duties, and Galbraith expects to provide SNAP projections and further financial detail at a future meeting.
