The Craven County Board of Commissioners voted Nov. 17 to accept and budget a $420,000 state grant to implement the START (Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Team) program for federal fiscal year 2025–26.

Jeffrey Merritt, a social‑services official, described START as an evidence‑based model that pairs a child‑welfare social worker with a family mentor (often a person with lived recovery experience). The program targets families in which a caregiver has a substance‑use disorder and at least one child is age 5 or younger. Staff described an engagement timeline that begins with a face‑to‑face shared‑decision meeting within days of referral, weekly visits early in the case, a minimum of two in‑home visits per month, frequent drug screening (at least weekly while in treatment), and ongoing collateral contacts with schools and providers.

Merritt said the $420,000 is a pass‑through state grant for the period 10/01/2025–09/30/2026 and requires no county match. He said the county has capacity to enroll about one family per week, up to 20 families, and that data collection and fidelity monitoring will be handled with Child and Family Futures and the UNC Chapel Hill School of Social Work. Merritt told commissioners the program aims to reduce foster‑care placements and cited evidence that such models can lower out‑of‑home placement rates and increase parental sobriety.

Commissioners asked about referral sources, which families are eligible, immediate removal when children are at imminent risk, and how quickly the county can remove children when necessary; Merritt said protective‑services reporting and screening remain in place and that if an immediate safety threat is identified, the county will act promptly, including same‑day custody when required. The board approved the budget amendment by roll call.