Post-meeting release, May 16, 2024
Seneca County Commissioners recognize foster care work in the county
By Sheri Trusty, Seneca County Media Relations Coordinator
Jennifer Schumacher, Protective Services Administrator for Seneca County Job & Family Services (JFS), and Adoption Supervisor Crystal Smith attended the May 16 Seneca County Commissioners’ meeting to provide updates on their department’s work supporting foster children in the county. May is National Foster Care Month.
“This happens to be my favorite month of the entire year,” Smith said. “We can honor our foster families.”
The commissioners presented a proclamation to Schumacher and Smith to recognize their department’s vital work in the county.
There are currently nine foster homes in the county, but there is a great need for more.
“We are always recruiting so we are able to keep kids here in Seneca County,” Smith said.
Thirteen children were adopted this year in the county.
“It’s been a great year for adoptions,” Smith said.
Smith is creating an independent living training program for foster children ages 14 and over to help prepare them for adulthood. The training is especially important for children who age out of the foster care program and are faced with independent living without family support.
“We’ll have monthly in-house training. There’s an entire curriculum I’m developing,” Smith said.
During the commissioners’ reports, Commissioner Bill Frankart announced that the Seneca County fair tent will undergo a transformation this summer. It will now have a more countywide focus and will feature the county’s yearlong bicentennial celebration and will also highlight local elected officials.
Frankart attended Fostoria Economic Development Corporation’s (FEDC) quarterly meeting on Thursday morning, where he provided updates on county activity and heard updates on projects and grants from local entities.
“Carolina Nonwovens is coming to Fostoria. It’s a $4 million business and has 28 employees coming in,” Frankart said. “There are a lot of projects and grants that FEDC is working on.”
Seneca County Administrator Barb Patterson opened bids for the CR27/CR28 Pavement Resurfacing project, and the commissioners passed a resolution setting June 6 at 10:05 a.m. to open bids for the Bettsville EMS station renovation. Bids are due to the commissioners’ office at 10 a.m. on June 6. A pre-bid building inspection meeting will take place at 495 Emma St. in Bettsville on May 29. Potential bidders are welcome to stop by between 9 a.m. and noon.
The commissioners passed a resolution approving the Seneca County Auditor’s Office electronic signature policy and security procedure. Tiffin Seneca Economic Development (TSEP) Development Coordinator Adam Gillmor, who attended the commissioners’ meeting, thanked the commissioners for approving the resolution. Offering an electronic signature option to businesses out of town helps streamline economic development projects.
“This is something TSEP is very excited about. While it seems like a small thing, it’s very major,” Gillmor said. “We work with companies all over the country. Thank you for passing that.”
The May 23 commissioners’ meeting has been rescheduled to May 22 at 10 a.m.