MOUNT VERNON — Knox County Job & Family Services administrators reviewed the agency’s funding streams during the Board of County Commissioners meeting last Thursday.
The agency covers child support, child protective services, public assistance, and workforce development in Knox County. The state designates the agency “quadruple combined.”
JFS funding includes federal, state, and county funding.
Chief Fiscal Officer and Assistant Director Brenda Newell said the agency currently deals with approximately 66 separate funding streams.
“Each funding stream has its own independent roles, compliance, what we can spend the money on, what programs we can operate out of that funding. It is all separate according to federal and state regulations,” she said.
The agency operates on a reimbursement process.
“So we pay everything initially up front and then we submit to draw back down funds out of those 66 funding streams,” Newell said. “If we go over our allocations, then those convert to essentially local costs because we’re not being reimbursed.”
2025 projected expenses are $15.5 million. Newell said revenue is just under $15 million.
The county has opportunities for incentives through its staff.
“Our administrators are great at trying to secure those incentives through our programs if they’re able to, and we’ll use those to make up shortfalls,” Newell said.
“We’ll trade with other counties to get funding coverage, and we’ll do some post-allocated adjustments, although it’s very strict on when we can move money that way.”
One example of JFS funding incentives is meeting the 95% threshold of face-to-face contact with children in the agency’s care.
County subsidizes JFS funding for child care
In 2024, the county’s mandated share of support was $93,000. The county contributed $1 million for Child Protective Services costs.
The levy brought in just over $2 million. The agency received $1.957 million after administrative fees.
Newell said 99% of the JFS funding does not roll over into the next year. The agency tries to spend as much as possible so that funding is not cut the following year.
She cautioned, however, that there is no guarantee the feds or state will not cut funding.
JFS Director Scott Boone said the Public Children’s Services Association and the Ohio Job and Family Service Directors Association are voices at the legislative level to prioritize counties’ needs and address financial burdens.
Pursel noted that Knox and other counties face financial challenges because of high placement costs stemming from removing children from high-risk scenarios.
The first option for child placement is with relatives. If that is not an option, the child will go to a foster home or facility.
“The two biggest things that relatives talk to us about in terms of needs are transportation and childcare,” he said. “We do provide financial relief to certain families for childcare expenses when that can occur.”
When a child is is adopted, KCJFS still provides funding to the family if they ask for it.
“If they ask, and we negotiate a monthly amount, they have the capacity after a year to renegotiate the amount,” Boone said.
KCJFS spent around $2.7 million in placement costs in 2024. Foster homes accounted for $162,122; foster care expenses accounted (which includes childcare mileage and clothing vouchers) was $223,821.
Adoption subsidies cost $117,400.
Several years ago, the county started using $1 million from the general fund to help cover child care costs.
Alley vacation
No community members or township officials attended a public hearing on Thursday regarding vacating an unnamed alley in Clinton Township.
The alley is located north of parcels 12-01733.000, 12-01732.000, and 12-01275.000. It has not been improved since it has been in place.
The commissioners and County Engineer Cameron Keaton visited the site near Crystal Avenue on Tuesday.
“I don’t see any existing utilities in the area that seem to be an issue, so I wouldn’t have any issues with the alley being vacated,” Keaton said.
“But once it is vacated, I think it’s going to be on the property owners to determine exactly where those lines are.”
The alley will be split down the middle; the property owners are responsible for obtaining a survey to determine if there is encroachment on each other’s property.
Pursel said the group discussed whether they should vacate more of the alley, but the portion in question is the only part the township trustees requested be vacated.
“If they want to vacate the other portion of the alley, that would be upon them to come back and make that request,” he said.
County Prosecutor Chip McConville is working on three easements in that area. The commissioners will hold their decision until they hear from McConville.
Dog shelter
Dog Warden Brian Biggerstaff reported 35 dogs entered the Knox County Dog Shelter in December, and 43 left. As of Jan. 15, the shelter housed 31 dogs.
Below is Biggerstaff’s full report for December 2024.
