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MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES August 18 , 2025 3 implementation phase. We have identified our child welfare social worker and supervisor and have successfully recruited our service coordinator who started last week. Freedom House has agreed to contract with us to hire the family mentor who will be based here at DSS. Caseload is capped at 10 families with the eligibility criteria of substance use being the primary factor and at least one child aged 5 or younger. If at any time a child comes into custody, the family will continue in the program with a strong emphasis on reunification. We are working to get the contract settled with Freedom House, and once that is done, we move to the technical assistance and training phase with Child and Family Futures. This isn’t a quick process, but we are progressing. 4. Quarterly Data Dashboard Lindsey Shewmaker, DSS Director, reported on the quarterly data dashboard. There has been a slight decline in FNS cases and slight increase in Medicaid cases. We expect significant decreases next year as work requirements go into effect. Work First cases have stayed steady and so have CPS reports. Child Care subsidy cases were a little lower but ticked up some towards the end of the year. Foster care numbers dipped around Christmas but has since gone up. APS reports are a little lower which was surprising, but marginal difference. 5. Director’s Report Lindsey Shewmaker spoke with Commissioner McKee; he should be attending next month. We have received most of our allocation for the Crisis Intervention Program, but not all. Currently, we are still unsure what is happening with Low Income Energy Assistance Program , but that program doesn’t begin until December. The State is putting together a work group on HR -1 “Big Beautiful Bill” to work through some of the details and Lindsey has been asked to be on the workgroup. There hasn’t been much to do yet, but now that there is some direction, the workgroup is getting started back up. Recently, the State sent a letter about Medicaid rebase cut. There was a $300M gap and provider rates are being cut at minimum 3%, but the General Assembly can still take action and make changes. More information will be provided at next meeting. We are moving staff offices around at Hillsborough Commons. The move to Southern last month was about providing services to clients while also freeing up a few offices in Hillsborough. For Commons, we are trying to get staff together with their units who had been scattered around the building. Affected staff were told last week and moves will begin the first week of September. The goals with this move is to move as few staff as possible, move client facing staff closer to front of building, and keep units t ogether. VII. Announcements None. Jane Garrett moved to adjourn the meeting at 5:20 pm. Oscar Fleming seconded the motion. The motion was carried without dissent. Submitted by: Lindsey Shewmaker, DSS Director Jane Garrett, Chair