MOUNT VERNON — Thursday’s commissioner meetings included an update on youth services through Knox County Job & Family Services.
According to Director Scott Boone, Knox County JFS has 68 youth in its care. Twenty-three are in kinship care, and another 23 are in provider facilities such as The Village Network.
Twelve children are cared for by JFS-licensed foster families; eight are in residential care, and one is with the Department of Youth Services.
Another is in a site facility in Florida because no closer options are available. The state pays the approximate $4,000-a-day cost through the Ohio Rise program.
“But we’re still on the hook because we have to have face-to-face contact with that [youth], so we’re paying for trips back and forth to Florida,” Boone said.
“We can’t do Zoom. We have to lay eyes in person.”
Boone estimated the youth might be in placement for six months.
“We’re trying to get a waiver from the state just because of the distance, but that’s usually the requirement,” he said.
Other programs
| SNAP Applications | 2023 | 2024 |
| September | 268 | 242 |
| October | 246 | 294 |
| Year-to-date monthly average | 230 | 232 |
Boone said the agency is monitoring SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) applications after federal guidelines increased the percent of poverty eligibility effective Oct. 1.
“We really haven’t changed all that much, which is good, obviously,” he said.
Boone said PRC (Prevention, Retention and Contingency) applications increased since JFS brought the program in-house from Kno-Ho-Co.
Prevention services avert ongoing reliance on cash assistance. Retention assists family members in retaining employment, and contingency services meet an urgent need that threatens a family member’s health or safety.
“To date we’ve taken 273 applications; I don’t know what the numbers were, but we’re taking far more than they did simply because we advertise it better,” Boone said.
“This is a relief in our community that people deserve to have an opportunity to apply for.”
Boone expects more applications during the holiday season. He said the agency might need to restructure job responsibilities at Opportunity Knox to handle the increased volume.
Knox County Dog Shelter
Dog Warden Brian Biggerstaff reported the Knox County Dog Shelter has 23 dogs. Twenty-two are available for adoption.
Residents adopted 16 dogs and seven puppies.
Biggerstaff addressed social media comments, reiterating that the shelter does not dispose of the public’s dead dogs. The shelter will respond to a call of a dog on the roadside that was hit.
The shelter does not provide cremation services but recommends people contact a veterinarian or funeral home.
Dog tag renewals start in December. Biggerstaff also noted that the shelter is selling calendars created by Phil Samuel. Proceeds go to the Dog Kennel fund.
Below is a PDF of October’s monthly report.
