By Stephanie Johns
Staff Writer

The City of Madison has agreed to serve through March as the fiscal agent for Morgan County System of Care (SOC), which has $100,000 remaining.

Velde T. Hardy, Coordinator of Morgan County Family Connection, told Morgan County Family Connection Board and Partners that she has put in requests to Morgan County schools and the Madison-Morgan Boys & Girls Club to serve as fiscal agent after March.
Velde presented three scenarios for using those funds.

The first: continue as they have been doing with her salary coming from Family Connection and no longer coming from SOC.
The money could last another two years if they chose that scenario, she said.

The second: They could add a part-time care coordinator, which Hardy said was “a really good fit.”
The money would not last as long as in the first scenario, though, she said.

The third: add both a part-time care coordinator and a part-time community awareness coordinator.
Hardy said her concern with the third scenario is that the part-time community awareness coordinator might only generate enough money to pay his or her own salary.

She noted that they did not have a full board present and recommended those present look over the three scenarios before their next meeting.
Hardy asked those present whether or not they would be interested in attending Commercial Sexual Abuse of Children Training (CSACT).

Sonya Hope, Community Support Specialist with Georgia Family Connection, said she was an advocate for the training.
“We’re very vulnerable,” she said. “We need to get as educated as we can.”

Hardy said it would be one-on-one CSACT to learn about what is going on and what to look for.

In other news:
• Hardy shared details about a grant for enforcing underage drinking laws. She noted that it was a one-year grant with no match requirement.
• Dr. Wayne Myers said that the Ferst Foundation still is looking for babies as they only have about 50 enrolled in their free books program. He noted that that is about 20 percent of what it should be. 
• Karen Freeman, education coordinator of the Madison-Morgan Boys & Girls Club, said that they are looking for volunteers both to tutor during their “Power Hour” from 4 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays as well as to run spring programs, one for boys and one for girls.

Printed in the January 24, 2013 edition.