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Thursday, January 18, 2018

McClure Begins to Beef Up Agencies Protecting Children, Elderly

Matt Dietz and Tara Zrinski
On the day he was sworn in, Executive Lamont McClure said his top priority is the county's most vulnerable population - its very young and its very old. The state Department of Aging, had given Northampton County a failing grade in December for its handling of elder-abuse complaints. And Children, Youth and Family Director Kevin Dolan told Council in June that child abuse referrals had skyrocketed from 3,514 in 2014 to a projected 7,000 in 2017. Calling the increased referrals a "tsunami," Dolan said his staff are overwhelmed.

Both Dolan and Aging Administrator John Mehler were shot down when they asked for help. They were also pretty much muzzled during John Brown's tenure as Executive.

That is changing under Lamont McClure.

Yesterday, with Dolan and Mehler both present, he started the process of beefing up both departments. He asked Council to approve supervisory positions in both departments that Brown had rejected. 

Mehler and Dolan explained that new positions are either completely or 90% reimbursed by the state, so this costs the county nothing

Bob Werner attempted to downplay the failing grade Northampton County had received for failing to investigate elder abuse complaints promptly. He noted that eight counties have been reviewed and most have fared badly.

But McClure is having none of it. "There will be no excuses,' he said. "We must protect our elderly. We will not get another F."
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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousJanuary 18, 2018 at 2:08 AM

    MC online is reporting that Dietz and Cusick are going to introduce legislation to kill the county grant to DaVinci. That will no doubt bring a storm of protest. Question is will county council really be able to do it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousJanuary 18, 2018 at 4:20 AM

    Will council vote to approve them, that is the question?

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJanuary 18, 2018 at 5:30 PM

    Perhaps we should consider whether more government, which has already been shown to be a failure, is the most effective way to provide for the safety and welfare of children and the elderly.

    It doesn't appear as though there has been enough time to at least consider alternatives.

    Just as a goof you'd be smart to make it look as if you did.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bernie O'HareJanuary 18, 2018 at 5:37 PM

    Of course the most effective protection is family and the church.but we have become very selfish. It is not just America first, but me first.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 18, 2018 at 6:26 PM

    This bicounty team of elder abuse as well as the soul sale sector raping the children of there OWN individual being is a sad State of affairs. This being for a arena or a fish or bug exhibit that hopefully pays off.
    Investing in our children and elderly is the best pay off of all, but as the blog man Bernie printed selfishness with the ones that can't see past there OWN nose on that face!

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJanuary 18, 2018 at 6:29 PM

    Bernie it would be nice to blame it on individual greed we do have a serious problem with certain individuals.

    But it's the institutional greed that is our most serious problem. Institutions in an attempt to fight off their obsolesces, or for survival, or in an attempt at growth, are where the most serious greed emanates.

    One of those institutions you mentioned, the church, where many first experience assaults, is so guilty, if it were the boys scouts it would be shutdown.

    It's not that we have bad people, so much as, our institutions have all become utterly corrupt. And there is no better example locally than our rating on the care of children and the elderly, and no better example nationally than the election of Donald Trump.

    Our OS is obsolete, it no longer computes. Even people with the most sincere and honest intentions can no longer make it work. Considering alternatives to establish institutions is essential.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousJanuary 19, 2018 at 1:30 PM

    "Gracedale Union Workers Reduce Sick Time, See COLA Rise"

    There is a metric being used here in the Gracedale thread that might be a curative for some families.

    Direct payments to care for family members in a way they are accustomed reducing the pressure on public facilities.

    together with a

    Moratorium/adjustment on assessments to property for building/using home additions primary to care for elderly parents.

    Kick the can...

    ReplyDelete

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