5180 Department of Social Services
Budget-Balancing Reductions
  • The Budget includes General Fund reductions of $33.7 million in 2007-08 and $658.7 million in 2008-09.

  • In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) funding for provider wages and health benefits totaling $491.5 million General Fund has been exempted from the budget balancing reductions.

  • The major budget balancing reductions include:

    Savings of $23.3 million in 2007-08 and $300.3 million in 2008-09 in the Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment program from suspending the June 2008 and June 2009 state Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs). Recipients will still see increased benefit payments in both years due to provision of the federal COLAs.

    Savings of $109.4 million in 2008-09 in the IHSS program from reducing hours authorized for non-medical domestic and related services to IHSS recipients. These services include meal preparation, meal clean-up, laundry, food shopping, and errands.

    Savings of $10.2 million in 2008-09 from reducing county administrative funding for IHSS, along with a corresponding reduction in county workload. Specifically, this proposal would change the timeframe for re-assessing the condition of IHSS recipients from every 12 months to every 18 months. These reductions should not impede the IHSS recipients' ability to remain safely in their own home and avoid institutionalization.

    Savings of $83.7 million in 2008-09 from reducing the allocation to counties for Child Welfare Services. Counties will be able to choose how to apportion the reduced allocation to ensure the health and safety of vulnerable children and their families and to minimize the risk of failing to meet federal outcome requirements.

    Savings of $6.8 million in 2007-08 and $81.5 million in 2008-09 from reducing rates for the basic care, specialized care, and clothing allowance for the Foster Care, Kin-GAP, and Adoption Assistance programs. This proposal also includes a reduction to maintenance payments for Foster Care, Group Homes, Foster Family Agencies, and Seriously Emotionally Disturbed placements.

    Savings of $2.3 million and a reduction of 33.0 positions in 2008-09 from reducing the frequency of random visits to licensed care facilities. Under this proposal, 14 percent of facilities would receive random inspections annually, equating to a visit for each facility approximately once every seven years. To mitigate health and safety impacts, no reduction will be made to follow-up inspection schedules for facilities that have previously been found to be out of compliance with licensing standards.

    Savings of $6.1 million in 2008-09 from reducing the allocation to counties for Adult Protective Services. Funding for this program is subject to appropriation in the annual Budget Act.

    Savings of $14.4 million in 2008-09 from reducing funding to counties for administration of the Food Stamp program.

    Savings of $3.4 million in 2007-08 and $44 million in 2008-09 from eliminating the Interim Statewide Automated Welfare System (ISAWS) Migration project. The current ISAWS system remains fully operational and eliminating the ISAWS Migration project prevents the need to make reductions, and introduce significant risk, in other critical automation projects. A project to replace the aging ISAWS system will be proposed in the future when it can be better accommodated by the state budget.