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Mission Statement Operating Budget History

	General Fund	Nongeneral Fund	Positions
2005 Appropriation	$ 305,770,744	$ 1,349,424,005	1,662.50
2006 Appropriation	$ 332,649,079	$ 1,359,409,561	1,617.50
2007 Appropriation	$ 362,182,791	$ 1,376,843,563	1,674.50
2008 Appropriation	$ 399,358,480	$ 1,408,543,771	1,683.50

New Operating Budget Summary

	General Fund	Nongeneral Fund	Positions
2009 Base Budget	$ 399,358,480	$ 1,408,543,771	1,683.50
2009 Addenda	$ 27,263,243	$ (56,396,856)	28.00
2009 Total	$ 426,621,723	$ 1,352,146,915	1,711.50
2010 Base Budget	$ 399,358,480	$ 1,408,543,771	1,683.50
2010 Addenda	$ 47,731,134	$ (62,948,882)	28.00
2010 Total	$ 447,089,614	$ 1,345,594,889	1,711.50

• Distribute Central Appropriations amounts to agency budgets
  Adjusts the agency budget to reflect amounts moved from Central Appropriations to cover the cost of items such as the continuation of 2007 and 2008 salary and health insurance premium increases, as well as changes in retirement and disability contribution rates and other centrally funded items. For each year, $9.7 million (GF) and $8.7 million (NGF).

• Appropriate the nongeneral fund share of information technology costs
  Provides the necessary appropriation to cover the cost of increased information technology services. For each year, $2.1 million (NGF).

• Transfer funding to appropriate service areas
  Moves appropriation within the Department of Social Services to correct services areas. This amendment nets to zero.

• Consolidate local staffing dollars as required by federal cost allocation plan
  Groups all funding associated with local staffing to specific service areas. The department recently completed a required revision of its federal cost allocation plan. Per federal rules, the department must pool local staffing dollars into larger groups for the purpose of cost allocation to federal revenue streams. This amendment nets to zero.

• Move Healthy Families of Virginia funding to new service area
  Moves funding for Healthy Families of Virginia to a more appropriate service area. This amendment nets to zero.

• Adjust nongeneral fund appropriation with actual revenues
  Makes adjustments in the nongeneral fund appropriation to more closely align the department’s appropriation with the availability of actual grant revenue. Over the past several years the federal government has reduced its support of agency programs leaving the current base appropriation artificially high. For each year, a reduction of $79.7 million (NGF).

• Maintain local social services by offsetting federal revenue losses
  Offsets the loss of federal revenue that supports staff in local departments of social services who perform child welfare services. The loss of revenue will occur as the result of a federally required revision of Virginia’s public assistance cost allocation plan. Without this funding, the social services system would be forced to reduce its workforce by approximately 200 employees. The loss of these workers would have a direct and immediate adverse impact on children's services. For each year, an increase of $11.9 million (GF) and a decrease of $11.9 million (NGF).

• Increase to the number of foster care visitations
  Adds social workers in local departments of social services to carry out activities related to improving permanency for children in foster care. These workers are needed at the local level to manage the increased workload that will occur as a result of implementing monthly visitations between social workers and foster care families. These visits are required to evaluate foster families and ensure that children are receiving the needed services. For each year, $1.0 million (GF) and $125,000 (NGF).

• Maintain existing child support enforcement operations
  Adds funds to offset the loss of federal child support enforcement matching dollars resulting from the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. The Division of Child Support Enforcement (DCSE) received general fund support to offset nine months of the loss of federal matching revenue in FY 2008. The additional quarter of general fund support will allow DCSE to draw enough federal match to maintain existing operations. For each year, an increase of $1.6 million (GF) and a decrease of $1.6 million (NGF).

• Continue 2008 budget reductions
  Continues some of the budget reductions included in the Governor's 2008 reduction plan into the 2008-10 biennium. For each year, a reduction of $1.5 million (GF).

• Capture savings associated with reduced check processing costs
  Captures savings associated with processing the Office of Child Support Enforcement's child support checks because the office has switched to pay cards for payment of these claims. For each year, a decrease of $66,360 (GF) and $131,730 (NGF).

• Substitute Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) dollars for general fund support of eligible activities
  Replaces general fund dollars in certain activities with TANF appropriation. Recent data indicates that the TANF caseload has declined and with it the mandated expenditures for cash assistance and child care services. This reduction strategy will generate savings by supplanting general fund with TANF for certain eligible activities in FY 2009 without reducing the overall amount of support provided. For 2009, a decrease of $9.8 million (GF) and an increase of $9.8 million (NGF).

• Reduce support for the Virginia Caregiver Grant program
  Reduces the general fund support for the Virginia Caregiver Grant program. This action leaves $500,000 in the Department of Social Services for the provision of caregiver grants. For each year, a reduction of $500,000 (GF).

• Adjust appropriation for the general relief program to reflect annual expenditure projections
  Reduces general fund support for the general relief program to reflect actual FY 2007 expenses. The general relief program is cash assistance and services offered to no income and extremely low-income individuals served through those localities willing to commit local matching dollars. In FY 2007, the department had an unspent balance in the general relief program since some localities did not fully expend their budget. This savings strategy will capture this anticipated general fund surplus. For each year, a reduction of $1.2 million (GF).

• Fund local facility improvements
  Assists local departments of social services with the lease cost of local offices. Local departments of social services currently occupy space leased to them by the local government or through a rental agreement with a private entity. The amount provided would cover rent increases and facility improvements at 15 local offices where the greatest need exists. For each year, $199,810 (GF) and $199,810 (NGF).

• Capture savings associated with continuing benefits for abused and neglected children placed with relative caregivers
  Accounts for savings associated with proposed legislation that allows a relative of a child in a 24 month period of ineligibility to receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The legislative proposal will continue TANF benefits for children in situations in which a relative agrees to accept custody, thereby avoiding a more costly foster care placement. For each year, a decrease of $141,792 (GF) and $141,792 (NGF).

• Increase payments to foster care and adoptive families
  Raises maintenance payments made to foster family homes on behalf of foster children by 15 percent in the first year and by an additional 10 percent in the second year and beyond. This increase will facilitate stability in foster home placements, enhance local departments' ability to recruit families and avoid placement in more costly residential facilities. The amendment also increases adoption subsidy funding to ensure that adoption subsidies keep pace with foster family rates. For 2009, $6.7 million (GF) and $5.2 million (NGF). For 2010, $12.2 million (GF) and $8.4 million (NGF).

• Enhance child welfare worker training
  Provides funding to enhance child welfare worker training throughout the state. Improved worker training will enable child welfare workers to serve children more effectively and improve overall performance outcomes associated with permanency and repeat occurrence of neglect and abuse. For 2009, $2.2 million (GF), $1.4 million (NGF), and two positions. For 2010, $2.2 million (GF) and $1.4 million (NGF).

• Improve the recruitment and retention of foster parents
  Provides funding to increase foster and adoptive family recruitment, support, training, and retention efforts and improve permanent connections for older youth in foster care. The increase is an essential component in the department's current effort to transform child welfare in Virginia toward a more child centered, family focused, community based approach. Funds would be used to implement the Finding Families best practices and provide standardized training using the Parent Resource Information Development Education (PRIDE) curriculum. For 2009, $3.4 million (GF), $1.1 million (NGF), and 17 positions. For 2010, $3.6 million (GF) and $1.2 million (NGF).

• Build early childhood systems at the local level
  Adds funds for the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation (VECF) to increase capacity of local communities to develop delivery systems of high quality early childhood development. Through VECF grants, communities are encouraged to develop school readiness councils to address the comprehensive needs of children from birth to school entry. For 2009, $500,000 (GF). For 2010, $1.5 million (GF).

• Expand the grants offered by the Office of Newcomer Services
  Provides additional funding for the Office of Newcomer Services within the Department of Social Services to create a network of community-based organizations that reach Virginia's population of legal permanent residents. Specifically, the office will use the new funding to provide grants to organizations for the provision of English classes, civic exam preparation, naturalization assistance and workforce creation. For each year, $250,000 (GF).

• Enhance quality of early childhood programs
  Adds funds to implement a voluntary quality rating and improvement system (QRIS); a means of assessing, rating, and supporting improvement in the quality of early childhood education programs. The QRIS provides mentors to assist with development of quality improvement plans, improved classroom settings and interactions, and resources to strengthen curriculum and materials. QRIS is a strong consumer education tool for assisting parents in recognizing and understanding the quality of early childhood programs. For 2009, $1.3 million (GF) and three positions. For 2010, $3.3 million (GF).

• Strengthen the early childhood education workforce
  Adds funds to support education and training scholarships for early childhood teachers, assistant teachers, and program directors seeking to earn associate and bachelor degrees and/or specialized training in early childhood education. For 2009, $1.0 million (GF). For 2010, $3.0 million (GF).

• Provide child care services to at-risk, low-income families
  Increases funding for at-risk child care subsidies and Head Start wrap-around care. The added support will address about 25 percent of the current waiting list for child care subsidies and provide Head Start parents with extended-day child care. The additional child care dollars provided will allow working families to maintain employment and receive education/training without the need for more extensive public assistance. For each year, $8.5 million (NGF).

• Provide staffing for local pilot reentry programs
  Provides funding and staff for five pilot reentry programs established by the Virginia Reentry Policy Academy in 2006. These local programs are coordinated by local directors of social services. This action will provide funding for a case manager for each pilot program, located in the department of social services. It will also add a position in the central office of the Department of Social Services to direct the activities of these programs. Finally, it will support the evaluation of the programs. For 2009, $509,174 (GF) and six positions. For 2010, $565,100 (GF).

• Provide funding to the Central Virginia Food Bank
  Provides additional funding for the Central Virginia Food Bank to procure and distribute food throughout the central Virginia region, which includes 31 counties and five cities. For 2009, $62,000 (GF).