Position Added in Sheboygan County to Help Children Get Adopted

Sheboygan County has a backlog of parental rights cases.

It's preventing families from adopting.

There is a new position to speed up the process.

The district attorney said his office has long been overwhelmed with a backlog of parental rights cases.

Too many kids are living in limbo stuck in foster care until they can be legally adopted.

District Attorney Joe Dececco said for years he's been asking the state for help, but has gotten nowhere.

When he went to the county board, they immediately responded.

The county board is paying for this new district attorney, who will focus on the parental rights cases.

Dececco said in the long run this will save taxpayers money.

That is because it costs less to pay the salary and benefits for a new prosecutor, than it would to keep kids in foster care.

The Department of Health and Human Services will also contribute to the new position.

The district attorney said Sheboygan still falls short of national prosecution guidelines by four full time positions.