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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06161987 - IO.2 TO BOARD OF SUPERVISORS INTERNAL OPERATIONS COMMITTEE FROM: Contra June 8, 1987 Costa DATE: SUBJECT; County SB 14 Responsibilities and Costs SPECIFIC REQUEST(S) OR RECOMMENDATION(_S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION RECOMMENDATIONS: 1 . Request the Social Services Director to outline the content of legislation which would change the formula presently in use by the State Department of Social Services to distribute child welfare funds to counties and forward a report on this subject to our Committee by August 31, 1987. 2 . Request the County Administrator and Social Services Director to prepare language for a legislative resolution which would ask the State Department of Social Services to report to the Legislature on the total expenditures by counties on programs covered by the child welfare services allocation versus the funds being provided to support those programs. 3 . Schedule a workshop, preferably at the George Gordon Education Center, for Tuesday, July 14, 1987, at 3:30 P.M. with all interested and affected advisory boards to discuss the need for increased advocacy with the State Legislature on issues relating to the funding of programs for children, including at least the Human Services Advisory Commission, Family and Children' s Services Advisory Committee, Juvenile Justice Commission, and others .to be identified by the County Administrator and involved County departments. BACKGROUND: On March 3 , 1987 , the Board of Supervisors requested that the Social Services Department prepare a report on SB 14 responsibilities and the costs of carrying out those responsibilities and present the report to our Committee. Our Committee received this report on June 8, 1987 . Mr. Jornlin reviewed this report with us pointing out that the Department often sees its placement costs increase because there are insufficient funds to provide staff who can go into the home and try to prevent the need for placement. Mr. Jornlin noted that CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT' _ YES SIGNATURE: RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR X RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE X APPROVE OTHER QUA' SIGNATURE(S1: Nancy Fanden Tom Torlakson ACTION OF BOARD ON < June 16, 1987 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED X OTHER VOTE OF SUPERVISORS 1 HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A TRUE X UNANIMOUS (ABSENT AND CORRECT COPY OF AN ACTION TARN AYES: NOES: AND ENTERED ON THE MINUTES OF THE BOARD ABSENT: ABSTAIN: OF SUPERV I SO//R�fSON THE DATE SHOWN. cc: Countv Administrator ATTESTED apn.� Social Services Director BATCHELOR.PHIL THE BOARD OF County Counsel SUPERVI ORSAND COUNTY FADMINISTRATOR Advisory Boards (via CAO) Legislative Delegation (via CAO) M382/7-83 BY DEPUTY Page 2 it would require about $1 million a year in additional funds to fully fund the SB 14 program in this County. This is due in part to the fact that the number of child welfare referrals has more than doubled in the past five years to a current level of 7,000 referrals a year. Assistant County Counsel Arthur Walenta noted that this probably is not an unfunded State mandate because the State does not require the specific level of service this County believes is necessary to properly operate the program. Mr. Jornlin noted that the major problem confronting the Department in terms of funding child welfare programs is the funding formula being used by the State Department of Social Services which results in an increasingly adverse allocation of funds to this County. Legislation would be necessary to change the use of this formula. Our Committee believes that we must make more effective use of our advisory boards in assisting the Board of Supervisors in lobbying in Sacramento for more funds. We are recommending scheduling a workshop when we can discuss this informally with our advisory boards and attempt to develop a strategy to better utilize their energy in lobbying on behalf of a wide range of services for children and young people in this County. We also believe that many legislators are not aware of the true cost of the programs they vote for and need to be presented with the facts. We have, therefore, made the above recommendations.