The Toombs-Montgomery Chamber of Commerce hosted a groundbreaking Tuesday afternoon behind the current Toombs County Department of Family and Children Services building on Oxley Drive in Lyons. The project has been in the making for almost a decade.
Toombs County Chairman David Sikes lauded Senator Blake Tillery for his support and for being influential in having the project progress expeditiously.
Ashley Payne has been the Director of the Toombs County Department of Family and Children Services for 13 years, and says that she is excited about the new building, noting that it will offer a state-of-the-art facility for the multiple programs that the office oversees, including the foster care program for children. Currently, there are about 8,500 Toombs Countians who utilize the services of the office, including 40 children in the foster program. Payne praised her caseworkers and staff for helping to find good foster homes for the children until they can be reunited with their biological families, if possible. The Director also stresses that there is a critical need for adults in the county to open their hearts and homes to a child in the foster program. To learn more about the process and how to help, please contact the Department in Lyons.
The new building is scheduled to be completed in the spring of next year.