COVID-19 Information for Local Social Services Agencies

General Information

Aging and Adult Services

Communications and Resources

Business/Operations Guidance

  • Send questions regarding Adult and Aging Services to the Adult Services Listserv. 
    • Adult Program Representatives (APRs) and Special Assistance Program Representatives (SAPRs) are available for direct consultation with Local DSS staff.
  • Onsite consultations are being temporarily replaced with telephone consultations.
  • Monitoring will be temporarily put on hold. APRs and SAPRs will do desk reviews where feasible; Program Consultants will contact local DSSs who are scheduled to be monitored. 
  • DAAS Staff are developing some of the regular face to face training content to be delivered via webinar
  • Program Representatives can conduct some limited consultations and training via teleconference for new staff.

Child Care

Communications and Resources

Child Welfare

Communications and Resources

COVID-19 Specific Guidance

  • At CPS Intake, an inquiry should be made to determine if there is any concern about COVID-19 exposure in the environment where a child lives. 
  • If there is a credible concern of a COVID-19 exposure to the child/youth, the information should be documented in the official case record and the client should be directed to call their medical provider for directions and follow the guidance provided. 
  • During a face-to-face visit with a client, support, witness, alleged perpetrator, or other person, if the county child welfare worker identifies high risk of COVID-19 based on the current clinical risk factors, in the individual or their close contacts, call local public health officials/agency to determine risk and notify their supervisor and notify DHHS/DSS.

Business and Operations Guidance

  • Child and Family Team meetings may be held through conference call videoconference and documented in the case record as to how the family and child were engaged in the process.
  • Families should continue to have court ordered Family Time visits and may seek a consent to temporarily cease in-person visit or conduct visits via video conference or telephone. If the Director reasonably believes that facilitating in-person visitation would jeopardize the child’s placement, or their health and safety, then the Director may elect to suspend visitation pursuant to 7B-905.1(b).
  • Efforts are underway to provide on-line trainings for Pre-Service, Intake, CPS Assessments, In-Home Services, Permanency Planning, Medical Aspects, and Legal Aspects
  • Check in with college aged youth who reside on campus to ensure they have identified housing in the event the campus closes. 
  • Waiver of 18-21 policy prohibition of young adults in foster care from living with removal parents (young adults in foster care can live with removal parents if young adults are college students who live on campuses closed due to precautions related to COVID-19).
  • DHHS/DSS Child Welfare has some emergency funds available for youth who are eligible for Chafee or Education and Training Vouchers. If youth need financial assistance for interim housing or other living expenses, please contact Erin.Connor@dhhs.nc.gov
  • Court Proceedings for emergency relief, including juvenile custody orders must continue to be filed during the next 30 days. Each local judicial district may have different procedures in place for continuing matters or remotely conducting other hearings during this time.

Child Support Enforcement

Business and Operations Guidance

  • Sanctions on cases for failing to cooperate with child support services should not be issued; outstanding sanctions should be lifted.
  • The bank levy process has been suspended effective March 18, 2020 and will not resume until further notice. Any FIDM levy initiated on or after March 1, 2020 is being lifted. 
  • On March 27, 2020 Congress passed the CARES Act, which will provide stimulus payments to citizens to assist with the economic impacts of this pandemic. The federal government has not provided final guidance about the implementation of this stimulus. We will be monitoring and will provide more information when it is received. 
  • 2020 Stimulus Frequently Asked Questions

Economic and Family Services

Communications and Resources

Pandemic EBT (P-EBT)

Medicaid

Communications and Resources

For general information about COVID-19 refer to the NC DHHS COVID-19 website.