HOLLIDAYSBURG — Caseworkers for Blair County Children, Youth & Families asked commissioners Tuesday to address pay levels contributing to staff shortages and hiring difficulties.

“We are desperately asking for help, and we are begging you to be child welfare champions for the kids and families of Blair County,” assessment caseworker Allison Morgan told commissioners.

Morgan, who has worked three years for the county, said Tuesday that of 37 caseworker positions in her office, 25 are vacant and their workload has fallen on the remaining 12.

“Caseworkers are vital to the safety of the kids in the community,” she said. “With so many caseworker vacancies, the remaining staff is burning out.”

Morgan and Shelda Conklin, a caseworker for seven years, asked the commissioners to consider addressing pay levels that contribute to the reasons as to why some former coworkers opted to look for other jobs.

“A few years back, the caseworkers addressed the county commissioners about maintaining retention in our field,”

Conklin said. “We were told at the onset of that meeting that we could not discuss wages, though as caseworkers, we knew that was the primary reason for caseworkers leaving the positions.”

As caseworkers continued to resign, she said the increase in responsibilities and workload have contributed to more resignations.

“There are only a few of us left,” Conklin told commissioners. “And if we are to build an agency that can be viewed as an asset to the community, we must provide our workers with better pay to drive up the incentive to retain staff and increase longevity.”

The comments from the women, surrounded by their co-workers, drew a supportive comment from Commissioner Laura Burke, liaison to the department, who has been supervising its operations for lack of a director.

“I agree wholeheartedly with what they said,” Burke said.

She also told the group that she hoped they see her “as a member of your team.”

Commissioners Chairman Bruce Erb and Amy Webster offered no response. Erb did apologize to Conklin for his wrongful attempt to restrict her comments to two minutes. The county’s public comment policy allows comments of up to three minutes, and Conklin was permitted to finish her statement.

Blair County isn’t alone in attempting to deal with staff vacancies and pay issues in its children and youth offices.

Cambria County’s children and youth employees have been asking their commissioners for help too. In late May, Commissioner Scott Hunt, proposed making $7,000 payments to CYS caseworkers for help with retention of employees. He said it could be afforded with American Rescue Plan dollars. Fellow commissioners Thomas Chernisky and William “B.J” Smith declined to support that proposal.

Blair County was allotted $23.6 million from the American Rescue Plan. So far, Blair County commissioners have agreed upon the proposed use of that money for broadband internet access and expansion efforts.

Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.