Greene County commissioners unanimously voted Monday to merge the county children services agency with the jobs and family services department.

“I think without a question in my mind, it’s going to be a benefit to the kids,” said Alan Anderson, county commissioner.

An undetermined number of children services upper level management positions will be eliminated as a result of the merger, said Howard Poston, the Greene County administrator. Poston and the commissioners are still working on restructuring the combined agency.

Children services has three directors, two managers and 12 supervisor positions, according to a county children services spokeswoman.

The county expects to save about $350,000 by restructuring the upper management positions, Poston said. The children services human resources department, which has two full-time and one part-time position, could be eliminated or combined with the county personnel department.

“What will it ultimately save?” Poston said. “We probably won’t know until two years down the road.”

Last week during a work session, the commissioners said they would delay the vote on the merger citing the need for more information. But at Monday’s meeting, Rick Perales, commission board president, said the commissioners would vote on the merger immediately.

“We’re here to do what’s best for the children and what’s best for the county,” said Perales, the county commission board president, shortly before the vote. “I believe this (the merger) is the right thing to do.”

County commissioner Marilyn Reid said personnel expenditures, federal dollars and the children services levy were factors that weighed on her decision to combine the agencies.

“It’s only as the facts unraveled between June and August did I consider the merger,” she said.

The county children services agency, which works with abused or neglected juveniles and families, employs 96 workers and reported an annual budget of more than $8 million in 2011.

“I am disappointed,” said Susan Alberter, the Greene County Children Services interim director. Alberter said she had hoped commissioners would have taken more time to review merger information she submitted. One commissioner said during last week’s work session that they had not read her report.

“But the votes have been cast and the process will move forward,” she said. “I will do what I can to help make that a smooth process.”