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14 <br /> <br /> Orange County DSS plays an important role in many of our county’s disenfranchised 1 <br />and vulnerable citizens. Our services address the full lifespan. Many are federally mandated 2 <br />and others reflect local community needs. There are 12 general programs and services, which 3 <br />include: 4 <br />• Food & Nutrition services 5 <br />• Medicaid eligibility and re-certification, 6 <br />• Energy Assistance 7 <br />• Work First & Employment Services, 8 <br />• Child Care Subsidy 9 <br />• Adult Services 10 <br />• Child Protective Services 11 <br />• Adoption 12 <br />• Foster Care 13 <br />• Crisis Assistance 14 <br />• Adolescent Parenting Program 15 <br />• Community Outreach 16 <br /> 17 <br />Among these 12 programs & services, 22,000 residents are annually served in DSS, for a 18 <br />county population of nearly 140,000; nearly 16% of residents are served. 19 <br /> 20 <br />Staff are daily working with families to ensure access to public health insurance, access to food 21 <br />& nutrition resources to minimize food insecurity, enrollment in quality childcare to ensure our 22 <br />youngest citizens have a safe and nurturing out of home care environment, providing time 23 <br />limited energy assistance or crisis assistance resources to help families bridge the gap and 24 <br />reduce their risk of homelessness. Work- First helps families move from public assistance into 25 <br />employment, a veteran’s services resource office, the child welfare program ensures children 26 <br />are in a safe home environment that promotes their health and well-being. 27 <br /> 28 <br />Whereas all of these program and services have important management consideration, have 29 <br />unique impact on the specific population served, and select resource allocation; there are a 30 <br />couple emerging issues that we, as an agency and Board, want share with the Commissioners. 31 <br />• NCFAST - North Carolina Families Accessing Services through Technology data 32 <br />platform; rolling out the child welfare component, which is a multifaceted program; data 33 <br />migration accuracy from the prior historical system’s data is critical, because staff need 34 <br />real time access to ensure health and safety and children/youth. Thus this process has 35 <br />become quite meticulous regarding staff time, so we Appreciate the additional support 36 <br />and resources that have been allocated in this transition and minimize in disruption of 37 <br />services 38 <br />• State Performance Improvement Plan for Child Welfare - new performance measures 39 <br />are being developed an expected to be in effect next fiscal year 40 <br />• NC Medicaid Transformation – wait and see what the final model will look like and its 41 <br />implication on local service agencies 42 <br />• HB 630 and Regionalization of DSS agencies: state workgroup includes discussions 43 <br />about performance contracts, regionalization mapping – implications on county budget, 44 <br />staff, county specific DSS programming 45 <br />• Proposed changes to federally funded programs –new Farm bill proposes cuts to SNAP, 46 <br />proposed work requirements for Medicaid eligibility, outcome implications on final 47 <br />Congressional approval decision. 48