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Burke County approves contract with Black Mountain Children’s Home to expand foster‑care services
Summary
The Burke County Board authorized a contract with Black Mountain Children’s Home to 'vertically integrate' child‑welfare services — recruiting and licensing foster homes, adding local clinical referrals through partner Anubia, and aiming to reduce length of stay and increase reunification. Vote was 4–0.
The Burke County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Aug. 6 to authorize the county manager to execute an agreement with Black Mountain Children’s Home pending final review by the county attorney.
County Manager Brian presented the contract as part of a vertical‑integration strategy intended to address a sustained increase in children entering foster care and long lengths of stay. He said the county’s point‑in‑time children‑in‑care count rose from about 185 to roughly 215 and argued the county lacks sufficient local behavioral‑health capacity to reunify families quickly.
"This idea of vertical integration will, largely rely on Black Mountain and their expertise for the recruitment, the licensing, the training, and most importantly, the support of foster homes here in Burke County," Brian said during his presentation.
Under the proposal, Black Mountain would deliver licensing and training, and a clinical partner, Anubia, would provide on‑the‑ground behavioral‑health services so social workers have faster local referral options. Officials said the county currently has about 11–13 licensed foster homes active and expects that number to grow with the partnership.
Representatives from Black Mountain and local DSS staff said the model aims to shorten assessment timelines, improve safety and permanency outcomes, and reduce costly out‑of‑county congregate placements. Commissioner Trout moved to approve the agreement, subject to attorney review; the motion carried 4–0.
County staff will return with final contract language and implementation details, and DSS leadership will report on measurable outcomes including licensed‑home counts, time‑to‑permanency, and reunification rates.
