HUMAN SERVICES

The Conference Committee budget allocates $1.260 billion to the Department of Developmental Services (DDS). This allocation matches the Senate budget but falls 1.3 percent short of the House proposal. In FY 2009, $1.272 billion was appropriated for DDS. The Committee’s budget funds several programs at a level that is in between the House and Senate allocations.

Notably, the Committee funded:

• Respite family supports at $46.5 million. This appropriation is $8.9 million below the House proposal but $4 million above the Senate budget. In FY 2009, the program received $56.1 million.

• Community-based Day and Work programs at $120 million, a level that is $2.7 million below the House proposal but $3 million above the Senate budget. In FY 2009, the program received $129.2 million.

The Conference Committee budget allocates $786.3 million to the Department of Children and Families (DCF). This allocation is 1 percent above the House but falls 1.1 percent below the Senate. In FY 2009, $836.5 million was appropriated for DCF.

• While the House and Senate budgets allocated $301.7 million for the primary account that funds services for children and families within DCF, the Conference Committee budget falls $1.5 million short of that amount. Like the Senate budget, the Conference Committee indicates that $5.6 million in ARRA funds will be allocated to the family services account. (These services include stabilization, unification, adoption, guardianship, and foster care services.) This allocation is still higher than the Governor’s revised proposal of $292.1 million. This account received $313.8 million in FY 2009.

• Like the Senate, the Conference Committee allocated $155.3 million for social workers within the DCF, $2.3 million more than the House included in their budget. This account received $157.3 million in FY 2009.

• Like the Senate the Conference Committee allocated $223.6 million for Group Care services, $500,000 less than the House recommended. This account received $229.6 million in FY 2009.

The Conference Committee budget allocates $886.6 million to the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA). This allocation is below both the House and Senate recommendations by $20.2 million and $9.6 million respectively. In addition, the Conference Committee budget is $13.1 million below the Governor’s revised budget. DTA received $901.1 million in FY 2009.

• The Conference Report approves $91.6 million for the Emergency Assistance program which provides housing and services to homeless families. This level, which is the same as the total recommended by the full Senate, is $4.4 million more than the amount appropriated in the FY 2009 GAA but is $2.3 million less than the House recommendation and still well below the $113 million the state expects to spend on assisting these families in 2009. The Conference Committee also reconciles differences in eligibility requirements for families receiving assistance through the program. Current law allows families that live at or below 130 percent of poverty to qualify for assistance. The House budget maintained eligibility at this current level while the Senate lowered it to 100 percent of poverty. The final budget splits the difference and lowers eligibility to families living at or below 115 percent of poverty. The budget does allow families, exceeding the 115 percent limit and who are already receiving services prior to June 30, 2009, to continue receiving services for six months.

• Like the Senate, the Conference Committee allocated $308.1 million for grant payments to families that qualify for Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC), a level that is $2.4 million below the House allocation for this item. This account received $302.7 million in FY 2009.

• Like the Senate, the Conference Committee allocated $23 million for the Employment Services Program, $1.5 million less than the House allocated. This account received $27.7 million in FY 2009.

The Conference budget does not follow the Senate’s recommendation to consolidate elder funding, instead allocating funding to each of the separate programs as in previous years. Together, elder home care programs (including purchased services, case management and the Community Options program) receive $189.9 million in the Conference budget, an amount just above the Senate recommendation, and 3 percent below funding recommended by the House. Funding in the FY 2009 GAA totaled $202.3 million, so this year’s proposal is a 6 percent cut, and there are predictions that hundreds of frail elders will lose these community-based services.