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CWLA 2008 Children's Legislative Agenda
Social Services Block Grant (Title XX)
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Action
- Support restoration of full funding of the Social Services
Block Grant (SSBG), Title XX of the Social Security Act.
- Reject budget proposals to cut SSBG funding.
History
- SSBG is a major source of federal funding that addresses
the needs of vulnerable children and youth. SSBG represents
11% of federal funding for child welfare services. 1 SSBG
frequently serves as a link between government funding and
private and charitable sources. SSBG funds supplement local
and charitable efforts by providing federal dollars to fill a
gap these charities may not be able to meet. The breadth
of services provided by SSBG funds can also cover shortfalls
left by other federal social services programs.
In 1981, SSBG was converted from a matching entitlement
fund to a capped federal block grant to states. States
were free to decide who to serve and what services to provide.
As a capped entitlement, SSBG funding was intended
to bypass the annual appropriations process and automatically
provide the level of funds set in the statute-$2.8
billion. Congress, however, reduced funding to $2.3 billion
when the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
block grant was created in 1996. Although funding was to
be restored to $2.8 billion by 2003, it was reduced again to
$1.9 billion in FY 1999, and to $1.7 billion in FY 2000. The
$1.7 billion total is what is currently in law. In 2005, SSBG
was used as a major funding source for hurricane relief,
with Congress allocating an additional $550 million in SSBG
solely for that purpose.
Future cuts continue to threaten SSBG. In the federal
budget proposal for FY 2007, FY 2008 and FY 2009 President
Bush proposed a cut of 30%, or $500 million, in SSBG funding.
In 2007, the Department of Health and Human Services
justified the cut by arguing that an assessment called the
Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) identified "several
weaknesses of the block grant, noting that the flexibility of
SSBG makes it difficult to measure performance." 2 The same
budget document, however, promoted an option to convert
federal foster care funds into a fixed "flexible grant." Congress
in both years rejected the Administration's proposal on a
bipartisan basis.
Although states can use SSBG funds for many social
services, such as child care or services for the aging, child
welfare services receive more of these funds than any other
service area. In FY 2005, child protection and child foster
care services each accounted for 24% of SSBG expenditures.
Thirty-eight states used SSBG funds to support child protection
services; 37 used SSBG to provide foster care. 3
Key Facts
States can use SSBG to fund 29 different services to prevent
or remedy neglect or abuse of children or adults, achieve or
maintain economic self-support, reduce unnecessary institutionalization,
achieve or maintain independence, and secure
referral and screening for appropriate institutional care.
In FY 2005, states spent more than $755 million in
SSBG funds on services to children and youth, including
adoption, foster care, child protection, independent living,
and residential services.
Adoption
- In 2005, 30 states used $38 million in SSBG funds to
assist in the adoption of children. In 2005, more than
181,000 children and families received support funded in
part by SSBG. 4
- Adoption services are designed to facilitate timely
placements of children with adoptive families. Services
include counseling for birthparents, recruitment of
adoptive homes, and pre- and post-placement training
and counseling.
- In 2005, of the 509,662 children in foster care, 117,436
waited to be adopted and 51,993 were adopted from
foster care. 5
Foster Care
- In 2005, 38 states used nearly $359 million in SSBG
funds for foster care services to more than 518,000 children. 6
That year, 509,000 children were in foster care on
September 30. 7
- States use SSBG to pay foster care costs for the board
and care of children not eligible for federal Title IV-E
foster care assistance. Foster care services are designed
to secure living arrangements for children or youth who
have been abused and neglected and cannot live at
home. These children and youth may live with foster
care families, including relatives. They may also live in
group homes, emergency shelters, residential facilities,
preadoptive homes, or in supervised independent-living
arrangements. Services include needs assessments,
case planning, case management, medical care, child
counseling, parent or foster parent counseling, and
foster family recruitment.
Child Protection
- In FY 2005, 41 states used more than $257 million
in SSBG funds to protect children from abuse and
neglect. More than 1.8 million children and adults
received services funded in part by SSBG dollars. 8 In
2005, state and local child protective service agencies
received an estimated 3 million reports of child abuse
and neglect. 9
- Child protective services are designed to prevent or remedy
further abuse, neglect, or exploitation of children
who may have experienced physical or mental injury,
sexual abuse or exploitation, or negligent treatment or
maltreatment. Services include investigation, medical
care, emergency shelter, case planning, child counseling,
family counseling, legal assistance, and placement
in foster care.
Independent Living
- In FY 2005, 18 states used $8 million in SSBG funds to
provide independent and transitional living services to
more than 2,800 youth. 10
- Supervised independent and post-foster care services for
youth are designed to help older youth in foster care or
homeless youth transition to independence. Services
include educational assistance, employment training,
training in daily life skills, and housing assistance.
Residential Treatment
- In FY 2005, $93 million in SSBG funds supported
residential treatment to more than 27,000 youth in
23 states. 11
- Residential treatment services provide short-term residential
care and comprehensive treatment for children
who cannot be cared for at home or are in foster care
and need specialized services. Services include psychological
evaluations, alcohol and drug treatment,
family counseling, individual counseling, remedial education,
vocational training, case management, and
supervised recreation.
Special Services for Youth at Risk
- In FY 2005, 19 states used $71 million in SSBG funds to
help more than 153,000 youth at risk. 12
- Support for young people at risk is often fragmented
between the juvenile justice, mental health, and child
welfare systems. SSBG allows states to cut across different
systems and provide the help youth need. Services
are targeted at youth and their families who are, or may
become, involved with the juvenile justice system.
Designed to enhance family functioning and increase positive
youth development, services include counseling, residential
services, and medical care.
Prevention and Intervention
- In FY 2005, 35 states used $145 million in SSBG funds
to help more than 846,000 children, adults, and families. 13
- Prevention and intervention services are services and
activities designed to provide early identification and to
target services that might prevent incidents of abuse,
neglect, or family violence, along with other harmful
behaviors. These services may prevent the removal of a
child from the home and strengthen families. SSBG
allows states to fund innovative and proven services
according to local community needs.
Sources
- Scarcella-Andrews, C., Bess, R., Zielewski, E., & Geen, R. (2006). The cost of protecting vulnerable children V: Understanding state variation in child welfare financing (Assessing the new federalism, Occasional Paper). Available online. Washington, DC: Urban Institute. back
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2007). Budget in brief: Fiscal year 2008. Available online. Washington, DC: Author. back
- Administration for Children and Families (ACF). (2007). SSBG 2005: Annual report on expenditures and recipients, 2005. Available online. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. back
- Ibid. back
- Child Welfare League of America. (2006). Special tabulation of the Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System. Washington, DC: Author. back
- ACF, SSBG 2005: Annual report on expenditures and recipients, 2005. back
- CWLA, Special tabulation of the AFCARS. back
- ACF, SSBG 2005: Annual report on expenditures and recipients, 2005. back
- CWLA, Special tabulation of the AFCARS. back
- ACF, SSBG 2005: Annual report on expenditures and recipients, 2005. back
- Ibid. back
- Ibid. back
- Ibid. back
CWLA Contact
Branden McLeod
703/412-2431
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