Beverly A. Burrow, Children and Youth Services director, told county commissioners Thursday that trouble getting information to either of two caseworkers on call can cause 30-minute delays and, in one case, caused a three-hour delay.

Caseworkers on 24-hour call carry a beeper and a cellular phone, the director said. Dispatchers answering emergency calls often experience trouble in getting the information to the caseworker on call, she said.

"We're trying to work through this the best we can. We just have to ask people to be patient, she said.

Half of the emergency calls come from hospitals or police departments, where the troubled child is in a safe place, she said. For emergency calls coming from families, CYS will be relying on help from police until a caseworker can arrive, she said.