Welfare Watch - March 17, 2010- More Grim News on the Budget at DHS

The Department of Human Services Board met today for their monthly board meeting.  The Commissioner reported that the Department has already made cuts of $21 million to their budget.  Now the Department is being asked by the Legislature for an additional $16 million in cuts because of the State's dire economic circumstances.  This combination of cuts will amount to more than $37 million in state dollars from the Department's budget.  These state dollars draw down more than $64 million in Federal match.  The Department, therefore, will be looking for more than $100 million in cuts to their budget for this year and next if the proposed budget is passed.

The Commissioner stated that she believes that these cuts will be "non threatening" to the most vulnerable populations that her department serves.  "We have cut the fat, now we are looking at curving around the meat and the bones for more cuts without cutting into the sinew."  She states that she wants to be strategic in "preserving her front line," those who do the day to day work of the Department.  She admits to being challenged by the budget presented to her, but she says that she and her Department are committed to carrying out the mission of DHS. 

She presented to the Board a listing of some of the proposed cuts.  They include:

Adoption Services - $921,000 - Many of the cuts will be for "non-essential" support services for adoptive parents and children such as respite and camps.  Furloughs, layoffs and attrition will comprise most of the cuts.

Child Care Licensing - Office of Residential Child Care - $900,000 - These cuts will be a swap of state funds to TANF.

Child Support Services – $2.8 million - These cuts will be realized through layoffs, furloughs and attrition.

Child Welfare Services – $2.5 million - These cuts will be realized through reductions in staff through furloughs, attrition, and layoffs, cuts to Independent Living  Programs and reductions in mileage rates. 

Department Administration - $3.6 million - These cuts will be realized through reductions in staff through furloughs, attrition, and layoffs and reduction in transportation costs.

Federal Eligibility Workers - $3.4 million - These cuts will be realized through reductions in staff  through furloughs, attrition, and layoffs

One Board member who is familiar with distressed companies said that by the look of this balance sheet, DHS is distressed.  He pointed out that DHS spends 60% of its funds on staffing.  An additional cut of $16 million will have a definite impact on the metrics that DHS is measured by.  “It will be difficult to maintain the success that DHS has enjoyed in the past and it is my fear that the staff will be blamed for this slippage.”  he lamented.

"This slippage has already happened," commented one staffer.  One example is that applications for services use to be approved in a timely manner more than 90% per cent of the time.  Now it is around 80%. 

DHS in recent years has been successful because of the investment that was made in DHS and a management that believed in outcome based performance.  It takes people to do the work. Without the people, it will be very difficult to get the work done.  It is not a question that slippage in the services will  happen, but how quickly, and on what fronts will the slippage take place. 

The Commissioner concluded the meeting with this statement, ”it is, what it is, and we will do what we have to do. . . We are committed to the most vulnerable, children, and aged in Georgia."

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                            Normer Adams, Editor
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