Wythe County CPMT: Foster-care caseload rises to 52; local match up about $27,500 from last April

The Wythe County Community Policy & Management Team was told at its May 26, 2026 meeting that the county’s foster-care caseload has increased and that local funding for services has grown.

“There are now 52 children in foster care,” Chair Kimberly Ayers reported during a review of utilization and financial data. Team members examined Pool Reimbursement Request Reports for April 2025 and April 2026 and discussed increases across foster-care categories.

Coordinator Blankenbeckler gave a more detailed snapshot of service loads as of April 2, 2026: CSA was serving 38 Department of Social Services (DSS) foster children, 16 special-education students, 11 foster-care prevention cases and three parental placements; 13 youth were in residential placements. Team members noted that local match for April 2026 rose by about $27,500 compared with April 2025.

The Team discussed the budget implications and recent administrative steps tied to caseload management. Blankenbeckler reported he had submitted the VJCCCA Program Plan for biennium 2027–2028 before the April 1 deadline and that required letters of support and a General Compliance Certification were included; Katherine Farmer confirmed receipt and returned several non-budget questions that have been answered.

Members did not move to change policy at the meeting based solely on the caseload numbers; instead they recorded the trend for budgeting and planning. Mr. Bear also reported that the county has approved an additional $200,000 in local match to help cover CSA needs through the current fiscal year.

The Team is scheduled to meet again on June 23, 2026; members were reminded to refer potential foster parents to DSS.