(Image source from: fcfchancock.org)
Representatives of the Hancock County Department of Job and Family Services asked the county commissioners Thursday for the rest of the agency’s annual appropriation for child protective services, about $450,000, because of increased expenses.
The agency budgeted about $1.715 million for child protective services for the year. The commissioners’ total share was set at $974,000, and the commissioners have already appropriated $525,000 this year.
Diana Hoover, Job and Family Services director, and Janet Beall, chief financial officer of the department, discussed the agency’s financial situation Thursday in the aftermath of a levy defeat earlier this month.
On May 8, Findlay and Hancock County voters defeated a proposed 1.2-mill, 10-year levy that would have generated about $2.3 million annually for elderly protection, child protection and child care. The levy was defeated by a 60 percent to 40 percent margin.
While additional funding was rejected, the agency is facing increased demand for its services.
Hoover said the need for child care services is greater this year. For instance, 57 complaints have been filed in juvenile court so far this year, compared to 54 in all of 2017. There have been 18 adoptions this year, compared to 10 all of last year.
“(We have) spent a great deal of time looking at the budget, looking for other resources we could bring into the agency to help pay for (child) placements, because I know that it’s going to be a big burden for the county,” Hoover said. “We have 56 children in care and our average cost per child is $30,325 annually. So I am here today to request about $450,000 additional to pay for the local share of placements for 2018.”
Commissioner President Brian Robertson said he wants to check with the county prosecutor’s office to determine whether the funding is state-mandated. If the commissioners are required to make the early allocation to Job and Family Services, it will impact other non-mandated allocations, Robertson said.
By Lokesh
