Carbon County's Children and Youth Services is continuing to see an increase in referrals and abuse reports, officials report.

On Thursday, the commissioners approved the agency's needs based plan and budget for the fiscal year 2018-2019. The $4,591,057 budget breaks down to include $1,669,750 for in-home services; $1,176,399 for community placements; $1,567,361 for residential services and $177,547 for administrative costs.Sallianne Schatz, director of children and youth, outlined the statistics of her office for the last year, which contribute to the figures in the budget, made up of federal, state and county funds."We've seen a 54 percent increase in general referrals and a 51 percent increase in abuse reports," she said.Schatz said situations that contribute to the department's caseload include homelessness, lack of food, lack of physical and mental health care for the children of the county.She has seen an increase in substance abuse issues for both children and parents, an increase in number of babies born with drugs in their systems and truancy issues.Long waiting lists for public housing, mental health and drug and alcohol services and lack of transportation for the families are reasons that also lend to the growing numbers.Schatz said that even with the growing number of referrals and reports, the department is doing its best to keep costs down and keep families together instead of placing children outside the home.Children and Youth is comprised of 11 caseworkers who handle anywhere from 18 to 25 cases at a time.Agreements in place and a push to cut down on out-of-home placements have also helped keep the budget pretty stable over the years, while also helping to keep children with relatives or their parents while working through the problems.Commissioners' Chairman Wayne Nothstein pointed out that some outside placements cost the county $20 to several hundred dollars a day, but the agency has been working diligently to lower the number over the last decade.In 2006, Carbon County had over 135 children in placements.Today, that number has decreased to 38.In addition, Schatz pointed out that the proposed budget also includes juvenile court placements.The proposed budget now goes to the state for review.