There are a great number of children in foster care in Lawrence County, whether it is due to the opioid epidemic, poverty or other factors.

And, with that, there is always a need to see an improvement of services.

Thankfully, officials here are exploring ways to make changes and looking for inspiration, wherever it may be located.

Recently, a delegation from the county toured Mooseheart in Chicago, Illinois, a children’s residential facility that has earned acclaim.

According to Commissioner DeAnna Holliday, the aim was to look at things such as education and housing that are provided there and find ways to implement them in some form locally.

The commissioner’s meeting also had a presentation from intern Connor Waller, who has been working for the county this summer.

One of Waller’s big projects was to study counties across the U.S. that are similar to Lawrence County and learn from their example on subjects such as economic development and tourism.

We are glad to see that fresh ideas and other angles of thinking are being considered and would encourage more officials to reach out around the nation and look for successful examples that can be put into practice here.

There is no ownership on good government and it is always wise to see what is working elsewhere and, if it is a good fit, give it try in Lawrence County.