NORWICH – A resolution allowing the Chenango County Department of Social Services to use a special software program to search various online public databases of welfare recipients received the approval of the county’s Board of Supervisors Monday.

The newly adopted resolution permits Chenango County DSS to enter an agreement with Lexis Nexis - a tech company that provides legal, government and business information software. Under terms of said agreement, DSS will have licensing for five of its supervising employees to use a Lexis Nexis software program, called Accurint, to search online public information such as criminal databases, real property tax records, and DMV records from all over the country.

According to DSS, Accurint will help reduce instances of abuse in nearly every DSS department including: fraud, collections, child support, burials, child protective services, adult protective services, foster care and adoption, and homeless requesting emergency housing.

“I look forward to having positive results using this software,” said Department of Social Services Commissioner Bette Osborne. “We hope to have it up and running before the end of the year.”