Mecklenburg County has hired Dr. Aram Perry Jr., Illinois' deputy director of child protection, to run the county department that investigates child abuse and neglect, oversees foster care and adoptions, and arranges meals and in-home help for older residents. He is scheduled to start Nov. 30.
Perry and his wife, Cecily Perry, were foster parents in Florida and adopted three of their five children through the state's child welfare system. "My family's personal journey within the child welfare system has fundamentally shaped how I approach human services," Perry said in the county's announcement.
County Manager Mike Bryant announced the hire Tuesday at the Board of County Commissioners' budget and public policy meeting. The appointment was not on the agenda, and the board took no vote on it. The county began "a nationwide search for the next director" about six months ago, he said. Neither Bryant's remarks Tuesday nor the county's release said why the job was open.
Bryant thanked Deputy County Manager Dr. Kimm Campbell, the department's deputy director and its staff for their "continued patience, dedication, and sacrifices, especially over the course of the last few months." He also thanked commissioners for their support as he and his staff "work to realign and improve the way that we deploy and administer child, family, and adult services here in the county."
Perry has been deputy director of child protection at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services since 2023, according to the county. In that job he leads more than 1,100 people across all 102 Illinois counties. The county credits him with helping launch a statewide practice model meant to strengthen assessments, family engagement and children's safety.
He has more than 15 years of experience in education and human services, the county said. He holds a Ph.D. in business administration, with a specialization in public administration, from Northcentral University, a master of divinity from Liberty University and a bachelor of science in social science from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The department's year
The Department of Child, Family, and Adult Services is part of the county's health and human services agency. Its Youth and Family Services division investigates reports of abuse and neglect and oversees foster care. Earlier this year the state reviewed the division's child protective cases and then told the county it would put the division on a corrective action plan, a formal plan for fixing what the review found, Campbell told commissioners June 2.
The 2026-27 budget, which commissioners adopted that night, added what Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell, who represents District 6, called "22 new positions in child, family, and adult services," positions she said the county had long needed.
The county says it is also short of foster homes. Its presentation at the board's Oct. 14 retreat counted 64 licensed foster families, with a goal of 124 by 2030.