HomeMy WebLinkAboutMINUTES - 06172003 - C.47 ............ .............................. .. .
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TO: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS +_ ' -=J '. CONTRA
COSTA
FROM: John Sweeten,County Administrator `" ,i COUNTY
DATE: June 17,200
SUBJECT: Child Support Services—State Budget Allocations
SPECIFIC REQUEST(S)OR RECOMMENDATION(S) & BACKGROUND AND JUSTIFICATION
RECOMMENDATIONJS}:
AUTHORIZE the Chair, Board of Supervisors, to execute letters to the County's legislative delegation, the
California.Health and Human Services Agency and the State Department of Child Support Services requesting
implementation of local Child Support Agency budget allocation reforms adapted by the state legislature in
1999 and assurances that counties will not bear the financial burden of federal penalties for California's failure
to implement a statewide child support automation system.
BACKGROUND/REASON(S)FOR.RECOMMENDATION(S):
During the June 9, 2003 budget hearings, the Board of Supervisors heard a report from Linda Dippel, Child
Support Services Director, on the status of her department. She reported on financing difficulties due to lack of
implementation of budget reform adopted by the state legislature in 1999 as well as the Governor's proposal to
shift a portion of the federal penalties on the statewide child support automation system to counties,which could
have a significant financial impact to the County general fund or her department. The Board of Supervisors
requested that the County Administrator to bring back a position on these issues at their June 17th meeting.
CONTINUED ON ATTACHMENT: f YES SIGNATURE:
RECOMMENDATION OF COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR„RECOMMENDATION OF or
D COMMITTEE
__,APPROVE ^_OTHER
SIGNATURE(S):
ACTION OF BOARD . 2003 APPROVED AS RECOMMENDEDOTHER
r'
VOTE OF SUPERVISORS
I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS IS A
X UNANIMOUS(ABSENT N ) TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF AN
AYES: NOES: ACTION TAKEN AND ENTERED
ABSENT: ABSTAIN: ON MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS ON THE DATE SHOWN.
**District III Seat VACANT**
Contact Saga Hoffman,33&1090
ATTESTED Jum 17, 2003
cc: CAO JOHN SWEETEN,CLERK OF
Dept of Child Support Services THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
County Lobbyist AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR
IleputClerk f
BACKGRt)t.T /REASOMS)FOR RECOMMENDATION tcont'dl.
State Bud et Allocation_Eq ity
In 1999, the state legislature adopted and the governor signed SB 542 (Burton) and. AB 196 (Kuehl) which
provided for funding parity of local child support agency operations based on standardized caseworker to case
staffing ratios. That legislation has not yet been implemented.
Instead, funding for local agencies is based on historic spending patterns. While the District Attorneys' offices
delivered child support services,there were great disparities in services among county agencies. The legislation
creating the new Department of Child Support Services was intended to ensure delivery of consistent,high
quality, customer-focused service throughout the state based upon caseworker to case staffing ratios.
Because the legislative mandate has not been enforced, gross inequities continue. Contra Costa County's
Department of Child Support Services is budgeted administratively to receive $18,144,986, or an average of
$395 per case (for 48,573 cases) while our neighbor Alameda County is budgeted$25,238,056, or an average of
$472 per case(for 55,580 cases). Both our counties operate in a high cost area with a similar client base, so
there is no rational basis for such a disparity. Statewide,the disparities are even greater. The average allocation
is $535 per case. The variance is over 420%, with Marin County receiving one of the highest allocations at
$1,229 per case and San Bernardino County receiving the lowest at $235 per case. los Angeles County receives
only $313 per case, yet handles about 25% of the state's entire caseload (with a significant impact on
California's ability to comply with federal requirements).
The Director of Child Support Services asked the Board to adopt a position to support for implementation of the
budget reform legislation, which would provide funding parity of local child support agencies' operations based
on standardized caseworker to case staffing ratios. In addition, she recommended that the Board support
allocations based on cost of living and actual expenditures.
Federal Penalties
California does not have a single statewide child support automation system as mandated by federal law. As a
consequence,the federal government has announced that it will be assessing penalties on the State of California.
These are estimated to be $188 million for 2002-03 and$207 million for 2003-04, levied in the form of reduced
federal share of child support administrative expenditures. The Governor in his budget proposed that counties
pay one-quarter of the penalty, yet counties have no influence the statewide automation system. Therefore, from
the County's perspective, counties should not be forced to bear the financial burden of the state's inability to
comply with this federal mandate.
The Board of Supervisors Contra Jobe sweeten
Clerk of the Board
C►Std and
County Admhustra ti i Tluilding County Administrator
651 Dine Street,R004,,106 County (925)335-1480
Martinez,California 94553-4068 i.•
.Toles Gioia,District.I
Gayle&Uilkema,District if
Vacant District III ..
Mark DeSaaluier,District N '
Federal D.Glover, District V
June 17,2003
Dear
During Contra Costa County's budget hearings,our Board of Supervisors was briefed on the
consequences of the current inequitable budget allocations practices on our Department of Child Support
Services. We are also concerned with the potential 25%pass through of federal penalties to counties for
lack of a statewide-automated child support system.
We do not understand why SB542 and AB 196,enacted in 1999 to provide funding parity of local child
support agencies' operations,have not been enforced. In February 2003,the Legislative Analysts Office
reported that the Department of Child Support Services continues to base allocations on historical
spending,which has caused gross inequities in services throughout the state. The LAO recommended
implementation of SB542 and AB 196. In May,to the Assembly Budget and Fiscal Review Committee
recommended formation of a working group to resolve the budget issue by March 2004.
Your support and leadership are needed on this issue. The 1999 legislation for budget parity should be
implemented along with the LAO's recommendations to base budget allocations upon cost of living and
actual expenditures using standardized caseworker to staffing ratios.
Stang levels at Contra Costa County's Department of Child Support Services have decreased 19%
.,since the beginning of 2002-03. With a steadily increasing demand for services,their best efforts to
meet the needs of our children are strained and will be severely impacte(tw*ithout budget parity.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Mark DeSaulnier,Chair
Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
cc: Governor Davis
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