Consolidation will make Mahoning children services more accountable

ELLSWORTH

The Mahoning County commissioners have declared their intent to designate the county’s Department of Job and Family Services as the county’s public children services agency.

The three commissioners unanimously adopted a notice of that intent Wednesday, but did not set a date for the child welfare function transfer.

Commissioner Chairwoman Carol Rimedio-Righetti said the commissioners would have to vote again in the future to actually merge children services with JFS.

The current 13-member children services governing board would likely be replaced with a five-member advisory board, Righetti said.

Administrative consolidation will make children services more accountable to county residents and may make it operate more efficiently, the notice says.

The commissioners will meet in their offices with the children services board at 10:30 a.m. today to discuss their proposal.

For more on the issue and others discussed by commissioners, read Thursday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.