The Shelby County Department of Human Resources is located at 987 Highway 70 in Columbiana.

Our mission is to provide for the protection, well-being and self sufficiency of children and adults. We carry out our mission through administering the following programs:

-Family Assistance: The family assistance program provides temporary cash assistance to low-income families with children who are under the age of 18 or who are under 19 and continue to attend school.

Each month, approximately $60,000 in family assistance benefits is issued to 330 families in family assistance benefits.

Job training, child care and support services are also provided to family assistance recipients to assist in moving to work and self-sufficiency.

-Child Care Services: Child care assistance is provided for children from low-income families, and Shelby County DHR also licenses child care providers.

-Food Assistance: The food assistance program provides assistance to supplement the food budgets of low-income individuals and families. Each month approximately 1.8 million dollars are issued in food assistance benefits to 5,928 families in Shelby County.

The economic impact for food assistance for the community is $9.08 for every $5 spent.

-Child Support: Provides services to custodial and non-custodial parents to assist in location of parents, establishment of paternity, obtaining orders for support and medical coverage, enforcement of orders, collection and disbursement of support payments.

-Adult Protective Services: Provides protective services for elderly and disabled adults who are at risk of abuse, neglect or of being exploited or institutionalized.

-Family Services: Provides adoption services for children and investigates reports of child abuse and neglect. In addition, we license foster and adoptive families. During fiscal 2011, a total of 11 foster parent adoptions were completed by Shelby County Department of Human Resources.

If you would like additional information regarding a program or would like to make a report of child or elder abuse or neglect, or if you would like information on our foster and adoptive parents program, contact the Shelby County Department of Human Resources at 669-3006.

Kim Mashego is the director of the Shelby County Department of Human Resources.