County may have to pick up part of tab for parenting classes
NORWICH – Cuts in state reimbursements could result in Chenango County picking up a portion of the cost for court-ordered parenting classes through the end of the year.
Currently, the Chenango County Department of Social Services contracts with Mothers and Babies Perinatal Network of Central New York, Inc. to provide the mandated courses, using New York State Community Optional Preventative Services (COPS) funds to pay for it. Now, due to regulation changes in reimbursements of Medicaid and federal revenue sharing funds, DSS Director Bette Osborne said the county would receive COPS funds to cover only 73 percent of the cost of the classes. She estimated her budget would be short about $6,000 by the end of the year.
“From what we’ve learned, it’s a positive class,” she said, “but I’m not sure the program can continue.”
An estimated five to eight families take classes that are offered every other month, Osborne said. She didn’t anticipate that DSS would need to hire someone to manage the program, but said taking it over in-house would result in additional and not budgeted over time pay.
Members of the Chenango County Health and Human Services Committee referred the matter to the Finance Committee, which, in turn on Thursday, opted to contract for the classes through the end of the year and decide during the fall’s budgeting season where to make up the lost revenues.
Finance Committee Vice Chairman Dennis Brown said the question his committee needed to consider was, “Do we keep bailing these (kinds of) things out?”
Chenango County Treasurer William Craine said the news is another example of state and federal funding streams being taken away from mandated programs, like they were earlier this year for county medical examiners.
Osborne said if the classes can prevent youths from being referred to juvenile detention center schools at the going rate of about $780 per day, local parenting classes “are worth it.”
When asked whether closing the Children’s Center in Norwich would impact DSS programs, Osborne said she wasn’t sure.
“Not all of the 30 families impacted by the center closing were DSS clients, and there are certified day care providers in the county. But it (the day care center) was convenient, and it’s going to impact something,” she said.
Currently, the Chenango County Department of Social Services contracts with Mothers and Babies Perinatal Network of Central New York, Inc. to provide the mandated courses, using New York State Community Optional Preventative Services (COPS) funds to pay for it. Now, due to regulation changes in reimbursements of Medicaid and federal revenue sharing funds, DSS Director Bette Osborne said the county would receive COPS funds to cover only 73 percent of the cost of the classes. She estimated her budget would be short about $6,000 by the end of the year.
“From what we’ve learned, it’s a positive class,” she said, “but I’m not sure the program can continue.”
An estimated five to eight families take classes that are offered every other month, Osborne said. She didn’t anticipate that DSS would need to hire someone to manage the program, but said taking it over in-house would result in additional and not budgeted over time pay.
Members of the Chenango County Health and Human Services Committee referred the matter to the Finance Committee, which, in turn on Thursday, opted to contract for the classes through the end of the year and decide during the fall’s budgeting season where to make up the lost revenues.
Finance Committee Vice Chairman Dennis Brown said the question his committee needed to consider was, “Do we keep bailing these (kinds of) things out?”
Chenango County Treasurer William Craine said the news is another example of state and federal funding streams being taken away from mandated programs, like they were earlier this year for county medical examiners.
Osborne said if the classes can prevent youths from being referred to juvenile detention center schools at the going rate of about $780 per day, local parenting classes “are worth it.”
When asked whether closing the Children’s Center in Norwich would impact DSS programs, Osborne said she wasn’t sure.
“Not all of the 30 families impacted by the center closing were DSS clients, and there are certified day care providers in the county. But it (the day care center) was convenient, and it’s going to impact something,” she said.
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