DATE: September 5, 2023
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Sanja Bugay, Director, Department of Social Services
Kirk Haynes, Chief Probation Officer, Probation Department
SUBJECT: Letter of Intent for California Department of Social Services Flexible Family Supports and Home-Based Foster Care Funding
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Department of Social Services and Probation Department’s submittal of Letters of Intent to the California Department of Social Services to opt-in for Flexible Family Supports and Home-Based Foster Care Funding ($2,383,383).
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will allow the Department of Social Services (DSS) and Probation Department (Probation) to enhance and expand supports for foster youth and/or their caregivers to improve placement stability, familial connections, and permanency. Specific supports include respite care, extracurricular and enrichment activities, and concrete supports such as financial assistance, moving costs and/or other needs necessary to maintain a home-based placement. Submission of the Letters of Intent will allow access to allocations in the amount $2,343,007 and $40,376 for DSS and Probation, respectively, through June 30, 2025, with no Net County Cost. This item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Should your Board not approve the recommended action, an opportunity to access additional funding that would support, increase and/or maintain the placement of foster youth with relatives or other resource family homes would be missed.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Approval of the recommended action will allow access to a total of $2,383,383 through June 30, 2025. Sufficient appropriations and estimated revenues are included in the DSS Org 5610 and Probation Org 3430 FY 2023-2024 Recommended Budgets and will be included in subsequent budget requests.
DISCUSSION:
On January 1, 2023, the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), released All County Letter (ACL) No. 23-02 to inform counties of available funding under the Flexible Family Supports and Home-Based Foster Care, appropriated by Assembly Bill 179 (Budget Act of 2022). To access allocated funds, counties are required to submit a Letter of Intent to CDSS. The purpose of the funding is to support the development and enhancement of any home-based foster care, foster care programs and services that reduce the need for changes in placements and increase life-long familial connections. Separate allocations are made to DSS and Probation, and a Letter of Intent is required of each.
Consistent with CDSS guidelines, DSS and Probation intend to use the funding to expand and/or enhance respite care reimbursements for resource families, to provide concrete supports to resource families in effort to remove barriers to child placements and/or to stabilize placements, and to offset costs associated with foster youth extracurricular activities.
Upon Board approval, DSS and Probation will submit their respective Letter of Intent, included as Attachment A and B, to CDSS. Access to this funding will require DSS and Probation to submit an annual report to CDSS by July 31st that includes types of activities and supports provided, information regarding children and youth served and impacts to the placement of children/youth in relative or home-based care.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
Attachment A - Letter of Intent, Department of Social Services
Attachment B - Letter of Intent, Probation Department
CAO ANALYST:
Ron Alexander