By Karissa Minn
kminn@salisburypost.com
SALISBURY – The economy may be slowly recovering from its drop five years ago, but Rowan County families are still hurting from the fall.
Many of them seek help and find it with the Rowan County Department of Social Services (DSS). The department issued $226.6 million in benefits and services from July 2011 through June 2012, according to its annual report.
Donna Fayko, the county’s social services director, said nearly 52,000 people in Rowan County, or about 38 percent of the population, received assistance during that time.
About 26,000 people receive food and nutrition services (food stamps) benefits. That number has doubled from 13,000 recipients in 2008.
In fiscal year 2012, $38.6 million in assistance was provided through the program.
“It’s powerful to see that the need has doubled in the past five years,” Fayko said. “I think that shows the tremendous impact that the economic downturn has had in the community.”
She said DSS helps people in the community build career skills and find work to support themselves through the Work First program.
Nearly $808,000 was issued in cash assistance through the program, and the average monthly payment was $209. Another $50,000 was paid to help clients in finding and keeping employment.
According to the annual report, which was finalized Monday, Medicaid took up the largest portion of benefits in Rowan with a total of $164.6 million. Another $738,000 went to Medicaid transportation.
Adult services
Fayko said many senior adults in the county rely on the social services department to help them with food, medical care and other needs.
Programs that mainly serve the elderly include in-home aide services, adult day care services and adult home care assistance.
Starting in January, DSS will no longer offer personal care services. The program serves residents of adult care homes who need extra help moving around, using the restroom or feeding themselves.
Staff members who administer that program must now help provide guardianship services for adults declared incompetent in court. Piedmont Behavioral Health used to serve as guardians for about half of the county’s wards, but a judge ruled at the end of 2010 that it could no longer do so.
“The impact that may have is that staff of adult care homes may be providing more services, or more people may opt to live independently,” Fayko said. “In-home personal care services will still be available for people living in their own homes.”
Fayko said this year’s report also shows some good news for the elderly. Reports of senior adult neglect, exploitation and abuse have all gone down compared to last year.
The adult protective services division investigated 123 cases in fiscal year 2012, compared to 142 in fiscal year 2011. There were also fewer reports made that didn’t lead to investigations – 176 compared to 203 last year.
“I think that’s indicative of the elderly taking better care of themselves, and their support networks taking better care of them,” Fayko said.
Children’s services
In fiscal year 2012, Rowan County collected about $10.1 million in child support, making it one of the top-performing counties in North Carolina.
“We’re routinely acknowledged by the state division as collecting one of the highest amounts across the state,” she said. “That’s something Rowan County can be proud of. They’re really working to make sure children receive benefits from both parents.”
The social services department also provides child day care subsidies for low-income families.
Child protective services received 2,823 reports of abuse, neglect or dependency in fiscal year 2012, and 954 of them did not lead to an investigation. That’s about the same level as the previous year, Fayko said.
While the number of foster care children entering custody stayed roughly the same from 2011 to 2012, the number leaving custody jumped from 110 to 148.
“That could mean that their families adequately addressed the issues caused them to be removed much quicker, so the children are reunited with their biological families,” Fayko said. “It also could mean that permanence was found for children, and they were adopted.”
In the past year, 18 children were adopted from DSS custody, compared to 13 the previous year. The number of step-parent, relative or independent adoptions went down slightly.
“Foster parents here adopt children,” Fayko said. “In Rowan County, people really are reaching out and taking these children under their wings, and foster parents are adopting consistently. That’s a wonderful situation to have.”
The full Rowan County Department of Social Services 2011-12 annual report is available by choosing “Social Services” under the “Departments” menu at www.rowancounty.gov.