Commissioner Cramer: Children and Youth provisional license accepted; corrective plan in place

Commissioner Jocelyn Cramer told the Wayne County Commissioners on June 11 that the county’s Children and Youth department has received a provisional license and that the department’s Corrective Action Plan has already been accepted by the state. Cramer said many of the citations dated back more than a year and were related to required documentation; she praised staff efforts and said the department expects to address deficiencies within the first six-month provisional timeframe.

"Some of the citations were from well over a year ago, and a lot of the citations were related to required documentation that the state mandates," Commissioner Cramer said, adding that the county is working on improving processes and is not taking the situation lightly. "They are in the process of correcting it, as many as four six-month provisional licenses can be issued, but the team is fully expecting to fix the situation within the first six-month timeframe."

Commissioner James Shook said the department is under new leadership that is making positive changes and noted that inaccurate information about the department has circulated on social media. He urged residents who want accurate information to watch the weekly meetings on Blue Ridge Cable Channel 13 or contact the commissioners directly.

The minutes also record that the Department of Human Services issued a provisional license to Wayne County Children and Youth effective May 27, 2026, through November 27, 2026. The meeting record does not specify the exact citations or the detailed corrective steps beyond the acceptance of the Corrective Action Plan. The board took no further formal action during the discussion and adjourned shortly afterward.