Scioto County Job and Family Service Director Tammy Moore Morton had an update about the status of CPS for Scioto County Commissioners at Thursday’s meeting and some of her numbers are shocking.
“I was last here in October,” Director Moore Morton said. “Everything is not solved yet, but we’re working in that direction. We’re moving a mountain, but it’s a shovel at a time.”
She said that recruitment and retention of qualified employees continued to be a problem. “My goal for 2024 is to stabilize the staff. Sadly, I’ve said that since day one and I can’t honestly say we’ve made tremendous progress there.” She said the situation was challenging and frustrating and she was trying to figure out another way. “I just can’t come up with something but we’re continuing to try.” She said the problem is that it takes a special kind of person to do the job. “We’ve hired several who show up and say, this is just not for me.”
She said the current staff is overwhelmed and tired, but we are really making a difference. “I give them huge credit.”
She said the agency is inching its way toward progress. She said while the average number of children in care had been over 300, that the number is now down to 273. The shrinking number is not due to fewer children being taken into care, but to progress in finding permanent placements for children who were in care. “Our average removal rate per month is about eight children. Our total number of adoptions for 2023 was 23. That’s up from nine the year before.”
Director Moore Morton said the agency received 972 reports of neglect last year, 799 reports of physical abuse, and 289 reports of sexual abuse. Those reports mostly come from schools, hospitals, and law enforcement.
She said foster care placement costs remained “huge” and a major expense for the county. “I was really hoping to see some relief as the number of cases came down. However, yesterday I was at a director’s meeting, and we were informed that placement costs statewide have increased 40%.” She said the State of Ohio was making it a priority to find a way to lower placement costs. She said the agency spends around $667,000 a month for foster care placement and spent $7.7 million last year.
“It’s eating away at your levy,” Commissioner Bryan Davis said.
“Based on our investigative team, our caseloads, and our adoption and permanency caseloads we served 3,806 children. I’m proud of that,” Director Moore Morton said.
