MOUNT GILEAD — Morrow County Job and Family Services Director Sundie Brown invited Rep. Riordan McClain to meet her Family and Children Services staff, plus do a ride-along on home visits.
“We invited Representative McClain to meet our staff who are dedicated to helping these families and to get a first-hand experience of the work they do,” Brown said.
He recently accompanied staff to a foster home and the home of an elderly client.
Brown added that Morrow County JFS works to strengthen families when children come to the attention of the agency due to abuse, neglect, or dependency concerns. The agency works to provide a family safe setting for the children, which may involve services such as kinship, foster care, or adoption.
The agency also provides protective services to the elderly population.
“Of the 40 children Morrow County JFS currently has in custody, 74% of them are in custody due to parental drug and alcohol related dependency. Since 2011, Morrow County JFS has experienced a 40% increase in the number of children in custody, with no increase in staff or funding. We relied on our Commissioners for local funds to cover $624,555 of our $818,133 in placement costs for 2018,” Brown said.
McClain welcomed the visit.
“I appreciate Director Brown and staff for their time in showing me first-hand the challenges and successes that they deal with on a daily basis. The need for safe homes for at-risk individuals, both young and old, remains very high. We as communities need to meet the needs of children that do not have stable homes. It’s my goal to review state policy on how we can better leverage resources to give those at-risk proper care.”
