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Burke County DSS reports spike in petitions, staffing pressures and foster-care caseload
Summary
Department of Social Services director Cory Fisher told the board the department saw eight non-secure petitions in a single week, that foster-care placements numbered 197 at the report’s creation, and that ongoing vacancies and turnover are affecting workload and placement capacity.
Cory Fisher, director of Burke County Department of Social Services, told the county commissioners the department is seeing continued staffing pressure and unpredictable spikes in child-welfare demand that strain caseworkers and court scheduling.
Fisher said the department had 14 open positions (about a 7% vacancy rate) and recorded eight separations and five hires in January. He reported 197 children in foster care at the time the report was created, with nine new entries and four exits in the month.
The director flagged one recent week when staff filed eight non-secure petitions — eight separate petitions for eight children from different families — and said that volume of petitions “is definitely the most that [we’ve] ever experienced in my time here.” He explained that non-secure petitions require intensive paperwork and court time and that when multiple petitions occur close together the department cannot simply pause caseworkers; the surge creates long days, legal workload pressure and difficulties finding placements.
Fisher told commissioners substance use was involved in all of those recent petitions. He outlined recruitment steps the department is taking, including attending a job fair at Appalachian State and building relationships with area social work programs to improve recruitment of experienced staff.
Commissioners asked about facility space for youth and how the department is managing care when placements are delayed; Fisher said the department has a visitation/comfort room and limited shower and laundry facilities for short stays and that the county has tried to create normalcy in those spaces. The board voted to accept the departmental report as presented; the motion to accept passed by hand vote, five to zero.
The report included other routine program metrics — Medicaid and food and nutrition services certifications remain timely; adult services and guardianship caseloads were described as stable but with capacity constraints; and child-protection screening numbers were described as seasonally lower for December and January.
The board did not take additional policy action at the meeting; staff said they will report further on recruitment progress and operational capacity at upcoming meetings.
