Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Senior Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ocean County approves $8M in senior services contracts for 2026
Summary
The board heard a presentation from the Office of Senior Services and ratified funding and contract awards for 24 Area Plan Contracts that will deliver meals, transportation and in‑home services to older adults countywide.
CarrieAnn Rosetto, director of the Ocean County Office of Senior Services, told commissioners that the department will oversee 24 Area Plan contracts supporting 51 programs in 2026.
"In 2026 the Office of Senior Services will be overseeing 24 Area Plan Contracts supporting 51 programs and awarding over $8 million dollars in services for older adults across Ocean County," Rosetto said, citing an expected delivery of more than 560,000 units of service to over 30,000 older adults and caregivers. She listed the plan's priorities as food insecurity, transportation, information and assistance, home repair and in‑home care, and outlined service targets including about 92,000 home‑delivered meals and more than 21,000 rides.
The board adopted a slate of competitive contracts and purchase orders that will fund congregate and home‑delivered meals, social support services and caregiver programs at multiple nonprofits and municipal providers across the county. Contracts adopted on the record included awards to a range of providers: Lakewood Community Services Corp., Community Services, Inc. of Ocean County, Catholic Charities (Diocese of Trenton), Long Beach Island Community Center, Community Health Law Project, and others. Many of the contracts are partially funded by state Older Americans Act allocations and local match; funding is contingent on the county's 2026 budget adoption for some line items.
Why this matters: the contract package formalizes year‑two funding for the county’s Area Plan and funds direct services aimed at keeping seniors safely independent at home. Director Rosetto thanked the Board for its "continued leadership in supporting critical services for older adults and caregivers," noting that the contracts will support nutrition programs, transportation and home repair that staff and advocates identified at last year’s public hearing.
What’s next: the Office of Senior Services will begin implementation with providers; the board will record contract numbers and encumber funds once the 2026 budget lines are formally available. Several contracts listed the start date for services as Jan. 1, 2026, and county staff said they would monitor service delivery and report to commissioners on outcomes later in the year.
