062011 Agency collaboration nets big return to county
By Sharon Haught
June 12, 2011
279
Summary: By working together, three Wayne County agencies have taken a $90,000 state allocation and turned it into $270,000 in funding for the countys children.
Its not often that a government agency voluntarily gives up $90,000 from its already incredibly tight budget but thats just what Wayne County Children Services Board Executive Director Randy Muth asked the Wayne County Commissioners to allow it to do by approving a Memorandum of Understanding transferring those funds from his agency to the Wayne County Child Support Enforcement Agency.
During the commissioners June 8 meeting Muth told the commissioners that the funds in question were allocated to his agency during the current budget cycle by the state legislature in an effort to partially restore lost TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) funding.
When we received that allocation the three department heads - Deborah (Watkins of the Child Support Enforcement Agency), Rich (Owens of Job and Family Services) and I - met to determine which would be the best way to use these funds, said Muth.
All three agreed that the countys children would be best served by directing the funds to the Child Support Enforcement Agency primarily because they could use those funds to draw down two federal dollars for every one dollar of the local dollars invested. None of our agencies could do that, said Muth.
According to Muth by turning the funds over to the Child Support Enforcement Agency, the $90,000 allocation turned into $270,000.
When it was discovered that a mistake in the language contained in the budget bill prevented the agencies from making the transfer, Muth turned to state Representatives Ron Amstutz, who led the effort to pass corrective legislation allowing the agencies to move forward with their plan.
Muth said his agency was more than willing to give up the funding because its whats best for kids.
The reality is when children are supported - when parents have the financial ability to meet childrens basic needs - they are less likely to enter the system and less likely to be victims of child abuse and neglect, Muth said noting that this way parents rather than taxpayers would pay for the care of their children.
Muth noted that the plan wouldnt have been possible without the collaborative way Wayne County officials work.
We dont see ourselves in silos, said Muth. We work together.
Muth noted that his agency has been the beneficiary of a number of countywide collaborations in the past and was pleased to be able to take part in this collaboration.
We felt it was important for us to do our part and look at government as were all in this together - this is a county issue - and the best way to utilize these monies in our opinion is to direct them to Child Support, said Muth.
The collaboration that Director Muth is talking about is just a wonderful model for the whole county, said Wayne County Prosecutor Dan Lutz adding its a wonderful example of what collaboration can do in terms of achieving success.
Wayne County Child Support Agency Director Deborah Watkins expressed her appreciation and noted that the $90,000 in funding will help fill the gap left when her agency lost $500,000 in federal funding.
While the new dollars only represent one time funding it does allow her agency additional time to continue to make reductions in expenses and increases in efficiencies to address the loss of funding, said Watkins.
We do appreciate the collaboration that has gone on, said Commissioner Ann Obrecht before she and her fellow commissioners voted unanimously to approve the agreement.
What makes things work well here in Wayne County is when we all work together for the good of the citizens, Obrecht added.
