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BOC discuss Child Care Fund budget

Niles Daily Star - 8/8/2017

Cass County's Child Care Fund has shrunk from last year, according to information presented to the Cass County Board of Commissioners.

Judge Susan Doebrich presented the Child Care Fund budget at Thursday's commissioner's meeting in Cassopolis.

The Child Care Fund is a Michigan Department of Health and Human Services program that provides financial reimbursement to counties for community-based programming and placement costs for youth. The costs for these youth programs are initially paid for by the county, with the state reimbursing 50 percent of the costs, according to the MDHHS.

This year, the Cass County Child Care Fund budget is $1,200,466.76, which is down by $76,230 from last year.

"The reason for the change is how we figure out some indirect costs," Doebrich said. "Ten percent of the cost spent are now being reimbursed, and they were not being reimbursed last year."

The change can also be attributed to the hiring of two new probation officers who are lower on the pay scale than officers with more experience.

New Agency Director Chuck Rose said he has been watching the budget carefully to make sure it is utilized in the way that is best for the both the county and the children that they serve.

"I can see where if we are over in a certain area I can see where we need to change," Rose said. "I can make sure I can capture those funds and make a change before we run into a problem."

The board of commissioners thanked Rose and Doebrich for presenting and explaining the budget decrease to the board, and said that they did not have any further questions at this time.

"Thank you for so much for coming and telling us this," said Commissioner Roseann Marchetti.

In other business

The board voted to instruct County Administrator Karen Folks to sell the board's used furniture and filing cabinets to an individual who has expressed interest in purchasing them. The board indicated that the individual would pick up the filing cabinets in the near future.

The board voted to grant an exception to the county maintenance director, so that he could obtain engineering services to address issues with the parking lot at the law and courts building.