Summary
DSS reported eight emergency child-removal petitions in a single week — the most its director has ever seen — with substance use involved in every case, and kids having to sleep at the office while placements were found. Caseloads are trending down overall, but the system is stretched.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 5
- Last 30 days
- 1
Discussed at 2 meetings in the last 60 days; most recently Oct 5, 2026.
Impact analysis
The county received an added $41,037 in state DHHS foster care and reunification funds; no county match required.
Children in DSS custody and the social workers serving them.
Families affected by substance use; children awaiting placement.
Mentions & discussions (5)
Board of Commissioners Pre-Agenda Meeting - Oct 5, 2026
DSS has 18 open positions, a growing adult guardianship caseload (85 wards), and 218 kids in foster care. A new partnership with Black Mountain is starting to recruit local foster families, with two families already in training.
Board of Commissioners Pre-Agenda Meeting - Sep 8, 2026
DSS has 17 vacancies (8.5%), foster care caseloads above the state max of 15 for many workers, and 214 kids in care. The director floated reallocating CAP program staff to ease adult services strain while keeping $600,000 in revenue.
Board of Commissioners Pre-Agenda Meeting - Mar 2, 2026
DSS reported eight emergency child-removal petitions in a single week — the most its director has ever seen — with substance use involved in every case, and kids having to sleep at the office while placements were found. Caseloads are trending down overall, but the system is stretched.
Board of Commissioners (Regular) - Jan 20, 2026
Judge Mullinax reported 192 kids in foster care but only 43 licensed foster homes in the county — 16 of them licensed by DSS. Some children have slept in DSS offices for lack of placements. Commissioner Stroud asked that training materials be shared with churches to recruit more foster families.
Board of Commissioners Pre-Agenda Meeting - Jan 5, 2026
DSS reported 190 kids in foster care, and 2025 was the first year since 2021 that more children entered care than exited. Recruiting CPS social workers remains hard, with caseloads above state recommendations.
We'll email you when it's on an upcoming agenda and when it's voted on, at most once a day.
The weekly brief for Burke County
What the council decided, in plain English — one email a week.
Free. Unsubscribe with one click any time. We never sell your email.