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MINUTES ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF SOCIAL SERVICES February 23,2026 programming to support participating youth. They have two part-time positions at DSS but SFF pays 100% for those positions. Ms. Wiese explained START is the Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Team model we are in the midst of implementing within one of our child welfare units. OCDSS was awarded a grant for this program, and the focus will be on serving child welfare families with children ages birth through five years old where parental substance use is a primary issue. Director Shewmaker explained the layout of the of the budget books for Board Members and then walked through an overview of each section. Highlights for Administrative Services included training, salary, and overtime costs. Board member, Jane Garrett, asked for clarity on training and if there is mandatory training for staff. It was explained for our protective services social work staff there is mandatory training and a requirement for 24 hours of continuing education annually. Oscar Fleming asked if the County owns the DSS buildings. Ms. Shewmaker explained the County owns Southern Human Services Center but leases the DSS office space in Hillsborough. Ms. Shewmaker reviewed Child and Family Services to include highlighting increasing the wage for in- home aide services but no overall increase in this line item. Mr. Fleming asked how Community Response Program uses the Orange County Partnership for Young Children grant money. Ms. Wiese explained it is used for Triple P training (individual and group) with child welfare involved families. In the Subsidy section, Ms. Shewmaker highlighted DSS stopped paying parent fees in FY24. She stated there has not been a significant increase in the utilization of the childcare subsidy program for ages 0-12 years old. We are seeing more part time childcare requests and older children. This resulted in lower average cost per child. Due to this, Ms. Shewmaker remarked it is responsible to right-size this line item and cut $200,000. This will still leave the Department with an ample budget to serve the need we currently see. Highlights in the Economic Services and Public Assistance area included Ms. Shewmaker explaining Medicaid positions in terms of revenue. Additional budget highlights include maintaining funding for all outside agencies within our budget which includes Interfaith Council (food), OCIM (food and utility assistance), Diaper Bank, and SOLTYS. Ms. Shewmaker stated we will not renew the lease on the apartment in the Gateway complex that served as a community hub for collaborative prevention work between DSS and Orange County Health Department. Ms. Rapoza highlighted page eight of the budget book that outlines any revenue or expense changes over$5,000. Ms. Garrrett asked what JCPC stands for. Assistant Director, Sharron Hinton, explained this is the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council and we received funds from the Department of Public Safety to administer it. Director Shewmaker highlighted performance measures for all program areas. She provided an overview for the budget timeline which highlights a final approval timeline for 6/16/26. Mr. Fleming acknowledged the work on the budget and stated it shows a commitment to performing good work. Ann Wilkerson made a motion to approve the presented budget for the County Manager's consideration; Jane Garrett seconded the motion. All board members were in favor. 2. Outside Agency Applications Director Shewmaker provided a general reminder that outside agencies can apply for funding from the County and Towns. DSS reviews applications of outside agencies assigned by the County Manager's office. This year we have some new agencies and all agencies we will review include: Piedmont Electric Helping Hand Foundation, OWASA, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Early Years, SKJAJA, Volunteers for Youth, and the Exchange Club. Ms. Shewmaker will bring back more information to the Board at a future meeting. 2