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.