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MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES May 18, 2020 2 receiving reports and calls from school social workers despite school being out as many are still in contact with families. The decrease in reports has given social workers more time to front-load services for families during the assessment phase. Many providers are providing services through telehealth (mental health) and parenting resources are available via virtual options. Contact for Intake/Assessments is business as usual. We continue face to face visits to ensure child safety. We provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to families on visits and Social Workers are required to wear PPE while on visits. Two investigators have been fitted for N95 masks and are ready to respond to any reports that have someone quarantined or tested positive for COVID-19. Crystal Mitchell explained that ongoing social work services are continuing by hybrid of in person and virtual contact. In person contact risk is mitigated by use of PPE, physical distancing, and outdoor visits. There are currently 97 kids in foster care; seven of whom are young adults age 18- 20. Court is projected to resume in person in June; cases not requiring court testimony have continued to be held via court reports and telephonic contact between all parties including the judge. We will be given extra court time in the month of June which should help us be back on track with our cases in July. Adoptions have continued without delay. Social workers schedule appointments with the clerk at the courthouse to file petitions and Decree of Adoptions have continued to be entered by the Clerk of Courts. There will be a major transition point this week as we move into in person family time between parents and children after two months of only virtual contact. We have a few cases where virtual family time will continue due to the presence of high risk factors. In adult services work is continuing by hybrid of in person and virtual contact. There has been a drop in numbers of APS reports. Staff are staying in touch with adult care facilities with frequent phone contact and staying in frequent contact via phone with isolated adults. Social workers are also making porch deliveries of food. 3. Economic Services Lindsey Shewmaker shared that staff continue to take applications and provide services for needed economic supports. Numbers of applicants have started to level some but new applications continue to come in. The state has continued the increased allotments for Food and Nutrition Services and this is helping families access food while their income has declined. 4. Child Care Nancy Coston explained some of the child care changes. Although some child centers chose to close, many others received additional funds to help them stay in operation. Income eligibility requirements were expanded for several months for persons who were working in essential jobs and parent fees for all families were also waived. DSS staff continue to provide child care subsidy services to new clients who contact the agency. 5. Employment Sharron Hinton talked about plans to reopen the Skills Development Center. Staff and partner agencies are relocating to the Southern Human Services Center in the interim until the move to the Europa Center later this summer. Work is being done at Southern Human Services to prepare for more people needing employment services.