By RENEE RICHARDSON
Senior Reporter

Budgets and money management services for Crow Wing County residents receiving Social Security benefits for disabilities may have found a new provider.

The issue affects about 210 cases with the county social services, of which 80 to 100 are considered fairly time intensive with monthly budgets and payment of multiple bills.

Last year a plan to have a Rainbow RPI take on those responsibilities was put on hold when the solicitor general began an inquiry of the provider and Social Security put a hold on transfers.

Tuesday Susan Beck, human services director, said discussions and interviews with a new agency called Viable Alternatives, a nonprofit organization from Big Lake, have begun. Beck said the department wants to move forward with caution and transfer 30 cases first, evaluate the new agency and then -- if all is good -- transfer more cases.

Beck said the change also has a benefit by not mingling social worker services with money management issues.

In other business, the county board:

Learned reimbursement arrived from the state Department of Health to cover $264,771, which the county overspent last year for its 2003 sliding fee child care expenditures.

Supported the Healthy Moms/Healthy Children Grant, which is state funded. Beck said the program has been successful and board approval was needed to accept the funds -- $94,897 per year for two years. The program provides supportive services to pregnant women who have chemical use issues. Beck reported the funds are used to help pay for public health and social services expenses and contract work. The program works with fewer than 10 women typically, but Beck said the costs associated with an infant impaired with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome are about $1 million.

"We have had a number of healthy babies born -- which is our goal," she said.