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HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL THURS., JULY 1, I*7*,
In Two Divisions Since 1972
DFCS Provides Vital
, Services To Houston
By Kathryn Harris
Director
The Reorganization Act
of 1972 created the Georgia
Department of Human
Resources. As a result of
this act, the State
Department of Family and
Children Services was
divided into two divisions:
The Division of Benefits
Payments and the Division
of Social Services. The
local County Department
of Family and Children
Services operates under
these divisions. However,
it is divided into four units:
Administrative, Benefits
Payments, Social Services
and Clerical.
The Administrative Unit
is composed of the
Director, Deputy Director,
Bookkeeper, and Clerical
Supervisor. This unit is
responsible for coor
dinating the work of the
Benefits Payments and
Social Services Units,
Budgeting, Accounting,
Staff Development and
Personnel.
The Benefits Payments
Unit is responsible for
determining or redeter
mining eligibility for
applicants or recipients of
Aid to Farmilies with
Dependent Chi Idren
(AFDC), Food Stamps,
AAedical Assistance Only
Medicaid, Nursing Home
Vendor Payments, and
AFDC Foster Care. There
are three supervisors,
* fifteen workers, and two
Food Stamp Clerks
assigned to this unit.
As of March 1976, there
were 884 AFDC cases in
the county. The maximum
AFDC grants per month
are; one person- $42.00;
two persons $77.00; three
persons- $115.00; four
persons- $148.00; five
persons $169.00; six
persons $184.00; seven or
more persons $199.00.
As of March 1976, there
were 1192 approved Food
H Stamp Households in the
county. This program is
designed by the US.
Congress and im
plemented by the United
States Departme of
AgriculturesUJSDA tis
away to improve tne diet
of low income families and
increase the flow of food
through the normal trade
channels, neighborhood
markets and grocery
stores.
Most families receiving
AFDC and or Sup
. plemental Security Income
* (SSI) usually are eligible
for Food Stamps. Other
low income families may
also receive food stamps if
their net income and
resources in the household
do not exceed the national
income standards.
The cost of the stamps
depends on the amount of
income and number of
persons in the household.
The larger the household
the greater the amount of
stamps the household
k receives. The lower the
" income of the household
the lower the cost of the
stamps.
The Supplemental
Security Income (SSI)
Program replaced in
January, 1974 the Public
Assistance Program for
the Aged, Blind, and
Disabled. Grants to per
sons qualifying for this
program is now ad
ministered through the
Social SEcurity Ad
ministration. As of
February 1976, there were
payments in Houston
County.
All persons who either
receive AFDC or SSI are
eligible for Medicaid.-
Medicaid benefits include
physician services, dental
services for recipients
under 21 years of age,
certain prescription drugs
and supplies,
psychological services,
hospitalizations,
i prosthesis services and
1 other services. Vendor
payments are made to the
skilled nursing homes and
intermediate care
facilities for eligible in
dividuals in need of these
kinds of services.
The Service Unit has
four supervisors, eighteen
workers, and a Volunteer
Coordinator assigned to
this unit. The supervisors
and workers are assigned
to specialized area of
Family Services, Work
Incentive (WIN), Adult
Protective Serivces, AFDC
Protective Services, Child
Welfare Protective Ser
vices, Adoptions, Foster
Care, and services to
unwed parents.
AFDC and Child Welfare
Protective Services are
services to abused and
neglected children. The
Georgia Law requires
workers to investigate all
neglect complaints to
determine if the complaint
is true. Office interviews,
home visits, and in
terviews with references
help the worker decide the
validity of the complaint.
The caseworker through
regular contact with the
family and referrals to
appropriate agencies for
specialized services tries
to improve the family
condition to stop the
neglect and abuse in order
for the child to remain in
the home. If this is not
possible, the Juvenile
Court is petitioned
requesting temporary
custody be awarded to the
agency which allows the
agency to determine where
the child will live including
foster care homes. Since
foster care is a temporary
plan for children, the
worker continues working
with the child's parents in
order for the child to
return home as soon as
possible. If the parent(s)
continue to be unconcerned
about the child's welfare,
the worker works to
provide the child with
another permanent home
either with relatives or
through adoption.
Foster Homes are
recruited, studied and
approved based on State
standards and regulations.
Foster Parents receive
training and homes are re
evaluated yearly by the
staff. Children who are
considered pre adoptive,
both infants released by
unwed mothers or couples
and older children; are
supervised in the foster
home while they are being
prepared for placement
and or homes are being
developed.
The Department of
Family and Children
Services is the only legal
licensed statewide
adoption service agency.
Supervision of children
placed in homes continues
through finalization of the
legal processes. In ad
dition to agency adoptions,
investigations are con
ducted on all adoption
petitions filed in Superior
Court including step
parents, relatives, etc.
Custody studies usually in
'junction with divorce
i, ■ on are also completed
_pon request of the court.
The Adult Protective
Services Unit provide
services to prevent or
remedy abuse, neglect,
and exploitation of adults.
The services provided to
protect adults include:
identification and
diagnosis of the service
needs of adults who need
assistance or who have no
one willing or able to assist
them; investigation of
requests by adults or by
other persons; counseling
such adults, their families,
or other responsible
persons; arranging for
appropriate alternate
living arrangements and
transportation; assisting
in the location of medical
care, legal services, or
other needed resources;
arranging for guar
dianship, commitment or
other protective
placement; and provision
of advocacy, including
legal services, to assure
receipt of rights and en
titlement due to adults.
The Family Service Unit
provide services directly
or by referral to prevent
AFDC and Adult (SSI)
cases from needing
protective services. The
services provided include
but not limited to in
struction and training for
children and adults in
management of household
budgets, maintenance and
care of the home,
preparation of food,
nutrition, community
resources, health main
tenance, child rearing and
family problems, personal
enrichment, personal care,
vocational rehabilitation
services, transportation,
and family planning
services.
The WIN Unit provides
services to AFDC mothers
participating in the Work
Incentive (WIN) Program.
In addition to providing the
same services as the
Family Services Unit, the
WIN worker works closely
with the Department of
Labor.
There are between 30-50
individuals and 12 groups a
month doing volunteer
work in the following
areas; transportation,
child care, clerical help,
home management
Houstoun Was
Great Patriot
John Houstoun, for
whom the county was
named, was born at
Waynesboro, Burke
County, Ga., Aug. 31, 1744,
the son of Sir Patrick
Houstoun, one of the
companions of Gen.
Oglethorpe. When the
county was named, the
second "U" was dropped
but the county name was
pronounced "How-ston" as
was the family name.
John Houston began the
practice of law in
Savannah and was
prominent in early
Revolutionary
movements; one of the
four originators of the
"Sons of Liberty" member
of the Continental
Congress but was absent
★ ★ ★ By Supreme Court In 1962 ★ ★ ★
Ga.'s County Unit
System Declared
Unconstitutional
The county unit system
of Georgia dated from the
Reconstruction period
following the War Between
the States (1861-65) and
was controlled almost
completely by party rules
rather than state laws.
The 1876 state
Democratic convention
allowed two delegates for
each member in the House
of Representatives and
required that each county
cast its votes as a unit.
This system was extended
in 1898 to the first state
wide primary election and
used through 1960 with the
exception of gubernatorial
election of 1908 which was
determined on a popular
vote basis.
The Neill Primary Act of
1917 enacted the county
unit system into law. It
worked this way: the eight
largest counties in the
state had six unit votes
each; the next 30 counties
in size had four unit votes
each; the remaining 121
counties had two unit votes
★ ★★★★★★★★
counseling, alcohol
counseling, nutrition in
structions, food stamp
outreach, food bank
program, friendly visiting,
and foster care clothing
closet.
In additoon to our
regular programs the
agency has developed and
coordinated the PAL
Project, the Nutrition
Center for the Elderly, and
the Food Bank Program.
The present and con
tinuous success of these
projects depend on the
involvement of the County
Commissioners, interested
individuals, churches,
civic organizaitons,
business people, and other
organizations and agencies
which indicates that the
citizens of Houston County
are concerned for others.
The agency has a five
member Board which
meets monthly. The
members are nominated
by the County Com
missioners and appointed
or reappointed by the
Commissioner of the
Department of Human
Resources. The present
Board members are: Mrs.
Mildred Clark, Chairman;
Mr. Charles Bowles, Vice
Chairman; Mr, Arthur
Schewe; Mrs. Sara Stone;
and Mr. Charles Ross.
when the Declaration of
Independence was signed
because he had to make a
trip home to counter act
the influence of another
Georgia member who was
opposed to the
Declaration.
Houston was governor of
Georgia in 1778 1779 and
1784-1785; member of the
commission to establish
the Georgia South
Carolina line; chief justice
of Georgia in 1786 , mayor
of Savannah in 1789 and
1790, one of the first judges
of the Superior Court; and
died at White Bluff July 20,
1796,
Congressmen, Governor,
Judge and Patriot great
Georgian.
each. This system often
resulted in a candidate
getting the most popular
votes and still losing the
election because his op
ponent receive more
county unit votes. Sup
porters of the system
claimed that it balanced
the power between rural
and urban sections. Op
ponents said that each
person's vote should be
equal in a democracy.
Georgia's county unit
system was declared
unconstitutional by a
three-judge federal district
court on May 28, 1962.
Their ruling was upheld by
the U.S. Supreme Court.
The county unit vote
applied only to primary
elections and not general
elections.
There is now a law
providing for a run off
election for governor in
stead of a choice by the
state legislature.
Democracy is really in
action in Georgia.
★ ★★★★★★★★
Bub. : ;jo wMf f ■ ■ *
Can you imagine one document powerful enough to affect
millions of lives for nearly 200 years? The Declaration of
Independence marked the beginning of a new nation,
"conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all
men are created equal." There have been many great men
over the years who have put their hearts into this country so
that the precious principles set forth in this document would
survive. As we approach the American Revolution Bicen
tennial, let’s celebrate our country’s birthday with renewed
spirit; repledge our faith in this declaration and all it stands
for; pay tribute to all those dedicated men who gave their all
so that this country upholds the high ideals outlined in 1776;
and, perhaps, most important, cherish our most precious
possession.. .freedom!
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