DATE: June 6, 2017
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Delfino E. Neira, Director
Department of Social Services
SUBJECT: Mid-Year Adjustment to Aid to Adoptions, Org 6415
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Approve and authorize the Clerk of the Board to execute Budget Transfer No. 24 transferring appropriations and 2011 Realignment funds from Dependent Children - Foster Care Org 6410 to Aid to Adoptions Org 6415 in the amount of $258,967
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will allow the Department to address budgetary need in one assistance payment organization and ensure timely issuance of mandated payments to Aid to Adoptions recipients, with no increase in Net County Cost.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
There is no viable alternative action. Categorical assistance payments are mandated payments with Federal, State and County shares of cost established in statute. If the recommended action is not approved, the Department will not have sufficient appropriations to issue payments through the end of the fiscal year.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no increase in Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Approval of the recommended action will transfer existing appropriations from Dependent Children - Foster Care Org 6410 to Aid to Adoption Org 6415, in the amount of $258,967. The Foster Care program is currently experiencing a caseload decrease which will create a savings in both appropriations and needed revenues. The Adoptions Assistance program is experiencing a small caseload increase as the finalized adoptions are outpacing the cases aging out of the program, as well as a small increase in average grant payments related to rate structure changes under the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR).
DISCUSSION:
The Department is mandated to provide assistance for children who qualify for the Aid to Adoptions Program (AAP). The program provides assistance payments to qualified parents who need financial assistance in order to adopt a child. Assistance payments aid families who adopt ‘hard-to-place’ children with the cost of food, housing, other basic needs, and some special needs (i.e. ongoing counseling, health needs, etc.). Families are eligible for assistance until the child reaches the age of 18. Assembly Bill (AB) 12 authorized several changes to Adoption Assistance including increasing the age limit from 18 to 21.
The average caseload per month was budgeted at 2,731 in FY 2016-17; the average caseload per month is projected at 2,744 cases, or an increase of 13 cases per month along with a an average grant increase of nine dollars (1%). The caseload increase is primarily due to additional adoptions being finalized as well as the length of time a child is eligible for assistance has increased from 18 years to 21 years. The nine dollar increase for the average grant is primarily due to the rate changes related to the Continuum of Care Reform (CCR) which impacts new adoptions only.
Currently the Foster Care program is experiencing a caseload decrease of 48 cases which will create a savings in both appropriations and needed revenues in the Foster Care Program. If the recommended action is approved, the Aid to Adoptions expected budgetary need will be met with the Foster Care savings.
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - Budget Transfer
CAO ANALYST:
Ronald Alexander