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Wilkes County DSS reports foster-care caseload rise to 194; PATH NC rollout and kinship supports outlined
Summary
DSS Director Kevin Brown and Program Administrator Hal Wilson told the Board that 194 children are currently in DSS custody, outlined the PATH NC statewide case-management rollout scheduled for November 30, 2026 (training beginning Sept. 25), and described foster, kinship and 18–21 voluntary placement program rates and supports.
Department of Social Services leadership presented a multi-topic update on March 5, reporting that Wilkes County has 194 children currently in legal and physical custody, an increase of 29 children over the previous four months.
Program Administrator Hal Wilson reviewed foster-care payment rates set by the State: $702 per month for ages 0–5, $742 for ages 6–12 and $810 for ages 13 and up; he added an additional $50 monthly stipend to foster families that Wilkes County has provided historically. Wilson described unlicensed kinship care (started November 2023), noting 69 children are placed in 35 kinship homes that receive state-set monthly stipends (reported in the transcript as $351, $371 and $405 depending on age). He also summarized the 18–21 voluntary placement program that helps eligible young adults remain in care while they complete school, work or meet disability criteria; payments for specialized placements may range up to roughly $4,600 monthly in some circumstances and are 100% reimbursable.
DSS Director Kevin Brown summarized PATH NC, the statewide case-record system previously called NC FAST; staff training for PATH NC is scheduled to begin Sept. 25 and the agency expects a full rollout for in-home and out-of-home services on Nov. 30, 2026. Brown said Healthy Blue Together (a managed-care plan) provides case coordination for children in custody and has a local case manager assigned part-time to the office. County leaders said foster-home licensing recruitment continues and that short-term child-supervision facilities are used when placements are not immediately available.
Commissioners asked about capacity and the potential for regional placements and asked DSS to continue providing monthly caseload and financial reports.
