Commissioners approve five Children & Youth Services contract items, including new safety-monitoring and housing arrangements

Lawrence County commissioners voted unanimously on a group of five Children & Youth Services items (Resolutions 111–115) on June 2, approving vendor renewals and program amendments intended to support foster-care screening, case documentation, safety monitoring and temporary housing.

Donald Andrews summarized the bundle. Resolution 111 renews a relationship with Able Screening, moving from a bulk-purchase model to a per-test charge of $45 and a $398 annual site service fee for administering online behavioral/mental-health screening for foster and kinship caregivers. Resolution 112 renews the county’s CAPS (case-management/documentation) service with Avano (noted as used by 58 of 67 counties) and includes a 3% provider increase the department had budgeted. Resolution 113 continues work with CSI Corporate Security and Investigations for family finding and adds a safety-monitoring option — on-site surveillance for children entering care when staff cannot provide continuous on-premises coverage.

Resolution 114 covers contracts with Glade Run Lutheran Services to house single parents and families at existing Brewville properties and a forthcoming St. Joe’s campus; Resolution 115 is an amendment to a contract with Pathways Adolescent Center to accept two court-ordered placements into a newly opened girls’ complex unit. Andrews said Pathways had not yet submitted an approved budget for those units and the county would withhold payment until required RC/OCI budget paperwork is submitted, while still complying with court orders to place the children.

The board approved all five resolutions together after departmental explanation and a second; roll call votes were unanimous (Sonado — yes; Kennedy — yes; Vogler — yes). Departments were directed to reconcile billing and budget approvals as required.