Providing foster care services to children is notoriously expensive for Guilford County government, and, this year, that care is turning out to be even more expensive than anticipated.
The Social Services Division of the Guilford County Health and Human Services Department has come to the county commissioners to get millions more in funding for the Foster Care Room and Board item in the county’s fiscal year 2023-2024 budget, which took effect on July 1.
According to information provided to the commissioners by Social Services, based on current spending levels and trends so far this year, county social services staff is projecting that the total cost for Foster Care Room and Board in fiscal year 2023-2024 will be an eye-opening $13 million. That’s $5 million more than planned. Just six months ago, $8 million was allocated for this purpose in the 2023-2024 budget.
So how could social services staff and budget planners – who usually err on the side of caution and have money left over at the end of the financial year – been so off the mark?
Here’s the official explanation staff provided the county commissioners: “These increases in expense are due to a combination of factors including increased room and board rates from group home and enhanced placement vendors, an overall increase in the number of children in care, an increase in the number of children in higher level or more specialized placements, and a shift of partial funding from ARPA [American Rescue Plan Act] funds in fiscal year 2022- 2023 to county funds that was not captured in the initial 2023-2024 budget estimate.”
The Guilford County commissioners are expected to approve the $5 million pop at the board’s next meeting on Thursday, Dec. 21.
Awwww….
Sound like govt-speak. The kids do need help, mainly due to sorry parents. Paying a bunch of bureaucrats to throw money at the problem, and then hope for the best , is nothing more than an exercise in “feel-good”.
Name something our govt does well.
Why then don’t you offer a solution for taking care of kids?…waiting on pins and needles.
Of course! How many folks are playing the system?
The system meaning the DSS department is trying to get a quota of how many kids they can get in the system by taking people children . For example a teenager jumps on their parent over a phone abuse the parent knowing that there is smaller sibling in the home , but instead of the system giving you help for the trouble teenager after you have been asking for help for that trouble child they blame you . Take the smaller child and place them in foster care . Now before you respond the children have a home, Food , electrics,running water and heat. Not only that a mother that loves them to pieces ,but they feel it’s okay for the teenager to abuse the mother and put the baby in danger and the system does nothing . Now the parent whole life get turn all the way upside down because a teenager is smelling their self or just want to be grown and these workers have so much power that the County Managers , Commissioners don’t have no say . It seems to me the workers are the boss not the Commissioners or County Manager or the Administrators. I am aware that the Department of Social Services already have a lawsuit against them and it can be another one against them because them people at the Department of social services don’t get it together soon . I’m trying my hardest to get News2 or News 12 involved can someone point me in the right directions. Please and Thank you it’s more to this story and the world, this county, city and Town should know.
These comments are is one reason that they help everyone. It tells you what other people are thinking.
“Can’t we all just get along?”
To underestimate a department budget by $5 million then suggest the reasons above for not being able to be more accurate shows no concept by those giving budget estimates as to the scope or details of the goals or services of one’s department. It would be amusing if kids didn’t die because of the ignorance of those running this department and the issues hadn’t been going on for eons. I don’t forsee any changes in the future as children suffer, and our society continues to decline.
This issue with foster/neglected children will NEVER end or cost decrease until the government finally decides to NOT pay women to have children as a means of income…no more paying for each child, no more paying for them from conception until death, no more government freebies to have children period!!! This is totally insane…who in their right mind thinks it is right to have taxpayers pay for children who are not wanted, cared for??? What part of the equation did the taxpayer have in these children being born and the expectation of payment for life to be on their shoulders??? Totally insane people…the truth will make some mad but this is madness in itself…period!