The 2013 Executive Budget Document
Department of Social Services
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http://www.dss.virginia.gov/
]
Mission Statement
People helping people triumph over poverty, abuse and neglect to shape strong futures for themselves, their families, and communities.
Operating Budget Summary
General Fund | Nongeneral Fund | Personnel Cost | |
---|---|---|---|
2009 Appropriation | $ 380,279,227 | $ 1,417,475,684 | $ 115,659,879 |
2010 Appropriation | $ 387,238,581 | $ 1,449,900,233 | $ 113,769,605 |
2011 Appropriation | $ 379,562,717 | $ 1,539,376,280 | $ 113,561,654 |
2012 Appropriation | $ 381,334,809 | $ 1,521,079,922 | $ 113,561,653 |
2013 Addenda | $ 389,979,751 | $ 1,500,740,684 | $ 120,525,349 |
2013 Addenda | $ (7,742,727) | $ 1,656,962 | $ (97,548) |
2013 Total | $ 382,237,024 | $ 1,502,397,646 | $ 120,427,801 |
2014 Addenda | $ 386,803,033 | $ 1,465,401,084 | $ 120,565,330 |
2014 Addenda | $ (5,559,532) | $ 12,869,153 | $ 1,507,229 |
2014 Total | $ 381,243,501 | $ 1,478,270,237 | $ 122,072,559 |
General Fund | Nongeneral Fund | Total Positions | |
---|---|---|---|
2009 Appropriation | 389.31 | 1,272.19 | 1,661.50 |
2010 Appropriation | 376.21 | 1,260.29 | 1,636.50 |
2011 Appropriation | 376.21 | 1,260.29 | 1,636.50 |
2012 Appropriation | 398.21 | 1,282.29 | 1,680.50 |
2013 Addenda | 403.21 | 1,291.29 | 1,694.50 |
2013 Addenda | 2.00 | 6.00 | 8.00 |
2013 Total | 405.21 | 1,297.29 | 1,702.50 |
2014 Addenda | 403.21 | 1,291.29 | 1,694.50 |
2014 Addenda | (3.00) | 14.00 | 11.00 |
2014 Total | 400.21 | 1,305.29 | 1,705.50 |
Recommended Operating Budget Addenda
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Improve financial oversight of foster care spendingDedicates funding and ten positions to improve the agency’s on-going financial oversight of child welfare programs and meet federal standards. The department is currently facing a federal financial review of its Title IV-E foster care program that could cost the state up to $18 million. This amendment augments the existing review unit staff with five new positions as well as moving four vacant positions internally. Funding for seven of these positions is provided with the agency supporting the remaining three with existing resources.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ 0 $ 318,868 Nongeneral Fund $ 0 $ 260,892 Authorized Positions 0.00 5.00
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Use Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to replace general fundAccounts for additional maintenance of effort (MOE) funds thereby allowing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) dollars to supplant current general fund spending. The department has identified additional statewide expenditures that can be counted towards the federal MOE requirement. The federal government requires states to maintain a minimum level of spending on TANF eligible populations. This new MOE allows the agency to replace current general fund budgeted for TANF benefits with surplus TANF dollars associated with declining caseloads.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ (5,000,000) $ (5,000,000) Nongeneral Fund $ 5,000,000 $ 5,000,000
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Account for auxiliary grant balancesCaptures expected general fund balances in the auxiliary grant program. Due to fewer individuals participating in the auxiliary grant program, it is anticipated that there will be a surplus in FY 2014. This amendment secures this funding with no impact on clients or services.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ 0 $ (500,000)
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Move utilization management services fundingTransfers funds currently earmarked in the Comprehensive Services Act program funding at agency 200 for "utilization management services" to the Office of Comprehensive Services administrative account within the Department of Social Services. These funds are currently moved administratively pursuant to a signed memorandum of understanding. Transferring these funds will provide transparency and eliminate the need for administrative action each year. This technical amendment has no net fiscal impact.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ 0 $ 175,000
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Adjust Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) budgetUpdates appropriation to properly account for the anticipated cost of providing mandated TANF benefits. Benefits include cash assistance payments, employment services and child care. The amendment also budgets the anticipated cost of administering the program that will be borne by local departments of social services.
FY 2013 FY 2014 Nongeneral Fund $ (3,626,182) $ 3,726,898
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Execute executive branch reorganization legislationImplements reorganizations approved by the General Assembly through Chapters 803 and 835 of the 2012 Acts of Assembly. This action accounts for the consolidation of the Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect with the Family and Children's Trust Fund and the elimination of the Child Day Care Council.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ 0 $ (108,003) Nongeneral Fund $ 0 $ (11,171)
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Create prisoner re-entry information technology interfaceProvides one-time funding to create an interface between the Department of Corrections (DOC) systems and the department’s customer portal to support prisoner re-entry. The proposed interface aims to assist people previously incarcerated to gain access to social service support programs in a timely manner. A companion amendment is included in DOC.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ 0 $ 165,000
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Supplant funding for Healthy Families of VirginiaSubstitutes a portion of the general fund dollars provided to Healthy Families of Virginia with federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) dollars.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ 0 $ (158,104) Nongeneral Fund $ 0 $ 158,104
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Adjust funding for changes in methodology for Oracle related chargesAdjusts the agency's budget for the general fund share of the impact of VITA charges resulting from a planned change in the rates methodology as applied to Oracle specific costs effective July 1, 2013. Under the new methodology, Oracle costs will be charged directly to those few agencies with Oracle licenses rather than sharing the costs via standard server rates among the many agencies using the servers on which the Oracle software resides as is currently done.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ 0 $ 151,428
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Augment management support for the modernization of eligibility systemsProvides resources to enhance the management and programmatic support of the agency’s eligibility systems modernization effort. The additional funding will allow agency to dedicate subject matter experts to system development without having an adverse impact on current services. These resources are only provided until the completion of the modernization project or the end of FY 2017, whichever comes first.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ 0 $ 522,286 Nongeneral Fund $ 0 $ 1,924,019 Authorized Positions 8.00 8.00
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Provide funding for child welfare family engagement activitiesAdds funding to initiate family engagement activities in local departments of social services. Family engagement is a core tenet of child welfare transformation and this funding will allow localities to continue to improve outcomes for children like timely permanency, reduced recidivism, increased placements in family settings and improved well-being.
FY 2013 FY 2014 Nongeneral Fund $ 0 $ 600,000
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Supplant funding for Community Action AgenciesSubstitutes general fund provided to Community Action Agencies with federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) dollars.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ 0 $ (500,000) Nongeneral Fund $ 0 $ 500,000
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Appropriate resources for a foster care hearings and appeals processProvides funding and positions to address the added workload of creating a new foster care hearings and appeals process. In response to federal findings, the Department of Social Services has proposed legislation to create a hearings and appeals process for children receiving foster care services. This amendment augments staff and resources in the existing Appeals and Fair Hearings unit which will be required to take on the additional caseload generated by the legislative proposal.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ 0 $ 77,267 Nongeneral Fund $ 0 $ 77,267 Authorized Positions 0.00 2.00
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Provide funding for local retiree health insurance creditProvides funding for the retiree health insurance credit for local social services employees. The Code of Virginia provides for the health insurance credit for retired local social services employees and states that the cost of the credit shall be borne by the Commonwealth.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ 198,588 $ 198,588 Nongeneral Fund $ 190,800 $ 190,800
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Increase the number of foster care children adoptedProvides funding to implement pilot programs that increase the number of foster care children adopted in the Commonwealth. One million dollars is dedicated to providing parents who adopt foster care children with an initial payment of up to $1,000 per child to offset expenses associated with welcoming a child into their home. In addition, the department will work with external organizations to provide on-going supportive services and improve efforts to recruit parents.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ 0 $ 2,000,000 Nongeneral Fund $ 0 $ 350,000
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Add funding and require the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation to pilot kindergarten readiness assessmentsProvides general fund for the Virginia Early Childhood Foundation. In addition, language is added that requires the foundation to work with public and private partners to develop recommendations for a kindergarten readiness assessment tool and subsequent pilot project(s). The pilot assessments will be available for use, on a voluntary basis, by Smart Beginnings initiatives and local school divisions. The assessment tools will allow for a better understanding of the range of skills children have as they enter kindergarten and progress through the school year.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ 0 $ 750,000
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Adjust support for the unemployed parent assistance programCaptures surplus appropriation based on a revised projection of the estimated 2012-2014 biennial costs associated with the unemployed parent cash assistance program. The unemployed parent program provides support to eligible low-income two-parent families to ensure that their most basic subsistence needs are met. This reduction will not have any programmatic impact.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ (1,146,771) $ (823,636)
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Adjust child welfare fundingRevises foster care and adoption subsidy program budgets to meet the anticipated expenditures for the 2012-2014 biennium. Based on biennial expenditure trends and the impact of recent child welfare policy changes, this amendment captures a $5.3 million general fund savings associated with a decline in Title IV-E Foster Care expenditures, while covering an anticipated $1.7 million general fund shortfall in adoption subsidies. In addition, funding is moved between service areas to improve the transparency of child welfare appropriations.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ (1,794,544) $ (1,794,544) Nongeneral Fund $ 92,344 $ 92,344
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Transfer adult services to the Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS)Implements reorganizations approved by the General Assembly through Chapters 803 and 835 of the 2012 Acts of Assembly.
FY 2013 FY 2014 General Fund $ 0 $ (1,033,682) Authorized Positions 0.00 (9.00)
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Appropriate new centralized child care systems supportMoves appropriation within the agency to reflect the implementation of the Virginia Case Management System (VaCMS); a web-based, comprehensive integrated child care management system that became operational in FY 2012. Functions previously performed by local departments will now be performed by central office staff. This amendment transfers funding between service areas and adds five positions to support new central responsibilities.
FY 2013 FY 2014 Authorized Positions 0.00 5.00