After 32½ years of service to Scioto County, Job and Family Services Director Tammy Moore Morton is preparing to retire—and county commissioners say replacing her will be no easy task.
Commissioners announced at Thursday’s meeting that Morton has submitted her retirement notice, effective December 31. They praised her work leading Job and Family Services, particularly her role in bringing the county’s troubled Children Services agency under its umbrella.
“She has served fantastically,” Commissioner Scottie Powell said. “She is sorely going to be missed.”
Powell said Morton gave the county early notice because she knows finding a successor will take time. He hopes commissioners can bring in a professional recruiter to help fill the position.
“It’s a critical function for the county,” he said.
Commissioner Will Mault said there were “not enough superlatives” to describe Morton’s work.
Commissioner Merit Smith joked that commissioners had tried to talk her out of leaving.
“We twisted her arm as much as we could. We kept the door locked in here for awhile to not allow her out,” Smith said. “But she was adamant that it was time. I hate to see Tammy go, but I wish her the best.”
Leading Children Services Through a Difficult Transition
One of the biggest challenges of Morton’s career came in 2022, when Scioto County commissioners moved the administrative and financial responsibilities of Children Services under Job and Family Services.
Children Services had faced intense scrutiny following the deaths of children involved with the county’s child welfare system, including Dylan Groves and Annabell Greene. At the time of the restructuring, the agency was also dealing with staffing problems and a projected $2 million shortfall.
Morton took on the task of combining the agencies in July 2022, knowing the transition would take years.
She later described the work as moving a mountain “one rock at a time.”
“We’re moving forward daily, but that progress seems like it can be an inch at a time,” she told commissioners during an earlier update. “Are we where we need to be? No, we’re not where I want us to be.”
Morton repeatedly emphasized the need to recruit, train, and retain qualified employees while continuing to investigate reports of child abuse and neglect.
Fewer Children in Foster Care, More Adoptions
At Thursday’s meeting, Powell pointed to a major change during Morton’s leadership: the number of children in county care has fallen from 407 at the time of the merger to 197, according to the figures he shared.
He also praised the agency’s work moving more children through the adoption process.
Morton has previously stressed that reducing the number of children in foster care was not about leaving children in unsafe situations. She said the agency continued removing children when necessary while working to find permanent homes for those already in care.
In a February 2025 update, Morton reported that the number of children in care had fallen to 219. She also said adoptions had increased from 10 in 2022 to 14 in 2023 and 23 in 2024.
Three of the children adopted in 2024 had spent more than a decade in foster care.
“That one brings a tear to your eye,” Morton said at the time.
The agency’s workload remained substantial. Morton reported that staff investigated 2,002 reports of abuse and neglect in 2023 and 2,075 in 2024.
Honors She Credits to Her Staff
Morton’s work has earned recognition beyond Scioto County. She was named Outstanding Director of the Year by the Ohio Job and Family Service Directors Association and has also received a labor relations award.
Powell said Morton is quick to give her employees credit for the agency’s accomplishments rather than claim the recognition for herself.
“What’s interesting is that she gives credit to all of her staff,” he said. “All the things I just mentioned, she would never talk about for herself.”
Morton has spoken in similar terms about the employees who carried out the Children Services transition.
“The team is working harder than ever,” she said during a previous update. “It’s amazing to see their passion and dedication. They’re doing so much to protect our kids.”
For commissioners, Thursday’s announcement was a chance to celebrate Morton’s retirement while acknowledging the challenge ahead.
“Today, it’s with happiness for her and sadness for us that we do have to consider her retirement notice effective Dec. 31,” Powell said.