CUMBERLAND COUNTY COMMISSION APPROVES SAFE BABY COURT GRANT WITH SUPERVISOR SUPPLEMENTAL PAY
At the Cumberland County Commission meeting on Feb. 17th, the commission approved agenda item Resolution 02-2026-8, which concerned a $100,000 state grant (no local taxpayer funds required) to launch a Safe Baby Court program in Cumberland County—one of only six selected statewide.
This wasn’t the resolution’s first time at the meeting, as the supplemental pay was a point of contention for many members of the council. In a prior December 2025 meeting, a similar proposal was amended to remove a $5,000 staff supplement and redirect those funds to supplies, due to concerns about creating precedent for extra pay on grant-related work.
By February 17, 2026, the resolution restored the supervisor-specific differential (fully grant-funded), with supporters arguing it was justified state-incentivized compensation for added duties and common in other rural counties, while opponents worried about setting a bad precedent. After discussion, it passed 10-4, with council members, Tom Isham, Terry Lowe, Jack Davis, and Jerry Cooper voting against.
For context, the Safe Baby Court program aims to promote child permanency and reduce foster care entries by providing preventive supervision and support for at-risk infants/toddlers and families in dependency cases, often allowing children to remain with parents or relatives under monitored conditions rather than removal.
The grant funds a dedicated case manager/coordinator and includes differential (supplemental) pay—approximately 6% of salary—for the supervisor overseeing the program. This covers extra duties such as expense tracking, data entry, facilitating child/family team meetings, attending after-hours quarterly stakeholder sessions, and other responsibilities beyond the normal workload.
