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ORANGE COUNTY b 8 4 BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT ITEM NO. E-2 r MEETING DATE' 031 r SUBJECT: Department of Children's Services DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: YES X NO ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:County 500 Manager's Office - PHONE- NUMBERS: HILLSBOROUGH - 732-8181 Yes HILLSBOROUGH - 732-9361 i CHAPEL HILL - 967-9251 MEBANE - 227-2031 i DURHAM - 688-7331 PURPOSE: To consider what steps would be necessary to establish a Department of Children's Services. NEED: Most -of the Board's comments at the September 20 meeting showed a preference for creating a new county department (Model 43), independent of the Department of Social Services, to deliver enhanced children's services. Two questions were posed to be answered at this meeting. First, where would_.the agency be housed? 5e_corrdly, who would provide the approximately $36,500 in additional funds necessary to support the new department? Location and Space Existing staff consisting of three positions (k supervisor, 1k social workers, and 1 coordinator) occupy three offices at Grady Brown (376 sq. ft.) and share half an office, half time, at Northside (80 sq. ft.). In addition, two additional offices at ( 220 sq.ft.) Grady Brown are used for storage purposes. Space options 1. Continue to lodge the department in the existing three offices in Grady Brown and the office- in Northside that is used for eligibility determination. At such time as the two additional positions are provided for enhancement further assignment. of spaces will be nec- essary. The possibility of enclosing part of the 12 foot hallway is being explored. To provide space in "the DSS area falls short of Great- i ing a separate identity through Space assignment, a point raised in the Child Care Report of the HSAC. 2. Have the Department of Children's. Services occupy the office on East King Street in Hillsborough which will be vacated by CETA in October. One thousand square feet are available. . Non-Count Cost Support An additional $36,500 is the estimate for the Department to function with addition- al stiff. This figure would be greater if space has to be rented apart from what is now occupied at Grady Brown and Northside. Dr. Michael Sharp will report at the meeti on his progress to secure letters of comittment for the estimated additional funds required. Further steps having to do with implementation include: Enabling Ordinance A draft ordinance patterned after the creation of the Department on Aging is at- tached for consideration. The County Attorney is still researching the ordinance and possible contract provisions that would apply between OSS and the new county department. Timetable Two views v`zt on timing and sequencing. One is to create the department, appoint the :_:.• Jry board and possibly hire a director in January to prepare for full oper- II _rron-of the department on July.1, 1984. Advisory Board activity between this Fall and- Jrrly #(mold Include advocacy for the department's acceptance, solicitation of funding and the establishment of short and long range goals for the department. Another view is that establishment of the agency and appointment of the Board members be postponed until start-up- can coincide with the new budget year of July 1, 1984. This would avoid problems with cost of space prorations, account separation, budget._amendments, indirect cost plans and audits. _ An` interim.task`i o.r-ce.touad. work out the necessary�.contracts with DSS'and others.,