Title
Body
MEMORANDUM
TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Crystal Markytan, Social Services Director
DATE: July 25, 2017
SUBJECT: Consideration of Resolution Approving the Exit of Lake County from Title IV-E Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Project Effective September 30, 2017.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Lake County Department of Social Services (LCDSS) and the Lake County Probation Department (Probation) jointly request that the Board of Supervisors approve Lake County's exit from the Title IV-E Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Project ("Project") effective September 30, 2017.
LCDSS and the Probation Department executed an agreement with the California Department of Social Services to participate in the Project commencing October 1, 2014 through September 30, 2019; the Lake County Board of Supervisors subsequently approved the agreement. LCDSS projects that continued participation in the Project will require a substantial amount of unanticipated county funding. The Project was designed to be cost neutral while allowing cost savings to be reinvested in innovative programs that would mitigate children entering foster care. However, under the Project's capped federal funding, additional local funds beyond the required match had to be used in order to operate the project. During fiscal years 2015-16 and 2016-17, the Project-related expenditures exceeded the Project match by approximately $1.5 million dollars and $2 million dollars respectively, due to unanticipated increases in mandated foster care assistance and administrative costs.
FISCAL IMPACT: __ None __Budgeted __Non-Budgeted
Estimated Cost:
Amount Budgeted:
Additional Requested:
Annual Cost (if planned for future years):
FISCAL IMPACT (Narrative): Funding for affected programs will revert back to pre-Project sources of funding. LCDSS and Probation will receive a combination of capped and uncapped federal funds for program administration.
LCDSS will provide approximately $415,000.00 in realignment funds to offset the cost of the additional foster care assistance and administrative costs Probation incurred in FY 16/17 as a result of the Project’s capped funding structure.
DSS will allocate SB163 Wraparound reinvestment funds to ensure CWS and Probation families currently being served under the Project have the opportunity to complete their participation in the program and enable both agencies to access a scaled down version of the program over the next two years.
There will be no fiscal impact on the County General Fund as a result of these actions.
STAFFING IMPACT (if applicable): One full time CWS Staff Services Analyst position that was dedicated to the Project will be redirected to support program changes associated with Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) mandates.
There will be no impact to Probation Personnel.
Recommended Action
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Staff recommends the Adoption of the Resolution Approving the Exit of Lake County from Title IV-E Child Welfare Waiver Demonstration Project Effective September 30, 2017.