DJFS director seeks approval for wage increase, interagency agreements

Deb Knight, director of the Harrison County Department of Jobs and Family Services, appeared before county commissioners at their Dec. 17 meeting to request approval of two resolutions.

The first, Resolution 43-25, authorizes a 50-cent hourly wage increase for non-bargaining employees of DJFS, effective Jan. 9, 2026. Knight said the increase is intended for management staff.

“My recommendation is to also increase management staff, excluding myself [sic], by 50 cents an hour,” Knight said.

The second measure, Resolution 44-25, addresses the 2026 Interagency Adjustment Agreement. Knight explained that state law requires county DJFS offices to work together to manage funding allocations.

“It’s very difficult for us, with between 80 and 100 allocations, to fully spend all the allocations in each line,” Knight said. “We also have different needs from other counties, so what counties do is trade funds that, in our case, we might not be able to use for funds that we need.”

The resolution grants Knight authority to sign inter-county adjustment agreements on behalf of the county for the period from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2026. Commissioners approved both resolutions unanimously.

Knight also informed commissioners of plans to increase foster care rates effective Jan. 1, 2026. She noted no formal resolution was required but wanted the information entered into the record, adding she could not find any prior resolution addressing the issue.

“We’re in the process of updating our foster care policy that outlines all those rates and what we reimburse foster parents for,” Knight said.

She said projected placement costs for 2026 will exceed $1.5 million, with about $500,000 going to private foster home networks. Knight said higher rates are intended to encourage local placements and reduce the need to place children farther away in cities such as Columbus or Cleveland.

“It would benefit everybody, especially the kids, if we could place them in the county,” Knight said. “So that’s our plan going forward in the new year.”