Social Services: Clay County child maltreatment on the rise

Child maltreatment in Clay County is on the rise, according to a new report from the local Department of Social Services.

The department investigated 159 reports in 2009, a 50 percent increase since 2007. Abuse or neglect was found in 19 of the reports.

Social Services stated that 14 children entered foster care, nine were adopted, one aged out, five returned home to parents and three were returned to grandparents in 2009. Five children have become legally free for adoption.

There are currently 25 children in custody.

Clay County commissioners appointed and reappointed fifteen members to the Community Child Protection Team for 2010: Melvin Cantrell, Clay County Sheriff’s Department; Scott Penland, Clay County School System; Jackie Craig, Guardian Ad Litem Program; Theresa Waldroup, Communities in Schools; Sandra Mazza, County Board of Social Services; Rev. Greg Carroll, Faith Community; Dawn Wilde, Clay County Drug Coalition; Tanya Long, Clay County Health Department; Ken Gomez, Children’s Development Services Agency;Nancy Chastain, Smoky Mountain Center, Mental Health Professional; Emily Hedden, Juvenile Services; Judith Alvarado, REACH, Domestic Violence Representative; Sandy Conaty, Mountain Youth Resources; Tessa Sellers, Clay County District Attorney’s Office; and Todd Goins, Clay County Department of Social Services.

The team recently identified several areas that need improvement to effective protect children, suggesting that a lack of mental health services, substance abuse by parents, lack of services for perpetrators of domestic violence, lack of local foster homes, court continuances and the downturn in the economy are contributing factors placing children at the risk of abuse and neglect.

The team meets quarterly and had “excellent” attendance and participation in 2009, the report said.

The Board of Commissioners also:

• approved three budget amendments from the health department at Leek’s recommendation.

• approved Greg Stiles to replace Susan Kaagan as a business owner on Clay County’s Travel & Tourism board. Kaagan was ineligible to continue on the board when she sold her business, Molly & Me.

• approved Mary Wiegold to replace Stiles as the Chamber representative for the balance of his term. Both terms expire in June 2011.

• reappointed Bryan Hedden to serve another three-year term on the Rural Development Authority.

• rescheduled Julie Lyver’s county health report for the next commissioners meeting.

Listen to the February 4, 2010 commissioners meeting