Agenda - 01-22-2015 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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15 1 allocation has decreased by approximately $700,000. The second phase of the implementation 2 will occur in July 2016. After the original allocation, Orange County received a reallocation 3 of$290,000 and has been informed of the possibility of one more reallocation this year. The 4 Orange County Partnership for Young Children has also applied for additional Smart Start 5 subsidy funds and if received, these would be added to the DSS contract. In addition, DSS has 6 received some funds through IV -E of the Social Security Act to serve low income children who 7 enter foster care. All of these funds have been included in this proposal. After reviewing details 8 about the families receiving child care, DSS projects that the State funds, Smart Start funds and 9 $595,000 in County funds already in the agency budget should be sufficient to serve the 10 existing caseload. 11 12 After receiving the comments from the Board of County Commissioners and from the DSS 13 Board, DSS had studied the financial impact of the items discussed at the work session for 14 addressing the immediate needs. DSS proposes serving children over age 5 with families below 15 to the 200% Federal Poverty Level (FPL), not imposing the new income eligibility and fee 16 requirements on relatives who are working with DSS to assure child safety and begin serving all 17 children currently on the wait list effective January 1, 2015. Any requests for child care after 18 January 1 st would be subject to a new waiting list until the financial impacts of these changes 19 can be calculated. If funds become available, working families will be served from the wait list 20 based on the date added to the list. Families being served with County funds will be informed 21 that these services will continue through June 30, 2015, and will then be dependent on 22 decisions during the 2015 -2016 budget deliberations. If this entire plan cannot be implemented, 23 it is recommended that the relative care and service to current recipients up to 200% FPL be 24 prioritized for consideration. 25 26 As part of the budget process, DSS will submit a plan for ongoing child care services with 27 annualized costs for all proposals and with recommended priorities. The DSS Board is also 28 planning to meet with the local legislative delegation to seek changes in some of the most 29 harmful changes. 30 FINANCIAL IMPACT: Based on the attached financial statement and caseload projections, the 31 costs for continuing mandated services can be covered with the County funds already budgeted 32 for DSS. The estimated additional County costs to fund the proposal from DSS for 2014 -2015 is 33 $566,000. With the appropriation of the $350,000 from the Social Justice as noted below, the 34 balance available in the Social Justice Fund will be $100,000. 35 36 Nancy Coston said that clearing the waiting list does not mean that all of those children 37 will be served, because many have moved, or their situations have changed. She said this is 38 why financial predictions can be difficult. She reviewed a chart showing the financial impact. 39 She said she is requesting flexibility to move money around as needed. 40 Commissioner Price asked what happens to the waiting list for next fiscal year. 41 Nancy Coston said a new waiting list will be started the day the current waiting list is 42 cleared. She said it is impossible to predict the numbers. She said when the waiting list is 43 cleared, people become very interested in childcare. 44 Commissioner Rich asked how people find out they are no longer on the list. 45 Nancy Coston said staff will call and send letters. She said there are often group 46 interviews to complete the eligibility paperwork, and as soon as this is done, vouchers are given 47 out, and recipients take these to a preferred child care center. 48 Commissioner Rich asked if there have been people that fall through the cracks.