Q&A
Federal funding for foster care programs and contingency planning
0:29:47
ยท
3 min
Council Member Stevens inquires about ACS's federal funding sources and contingency plans in light of potential funding freezes or reductions. Commissioner Dannhauser provides an overview of the federal funding received by ACS and discusses the current approach to potential funding changes.
- ACS receives about $1.35 billion in federal funds, including $310 million from Title IV-E
- The percentage of young people eligible for Title IV-E funding has been decreasing due to outdated federal policies
- ACS is closely monitoring the situation and working with OMB on contingency planning
- There is hope for continued bipartisan support for key grants like Title IV-E
Althea Stevens
0:29:47
I have some more questions on that, but, they're gonna kill me if I don't get to some of their questions.
0:29:50
So let me stop bearing off.
0:29:52
On January 27, the Trump administration issued a memo halting all agency grants, loans, and fiscal assistant programs.
0:29:59
The Office of Management and Budget detailed the federal program subject to freeze title four e of the Social Security Act, which funds foster care as well as adopt adoption assistance, child abuse, and neglect block grant block grants and programs designed to educate young people aging out of child welfare system.
0:30:21
This order was rescinded the following day.
0:30:23
How much funding does ACS receive from federal grants, such as title grants and other federal sources?
0:30:30
And please provide a breakdown of the funding sources and the amount.
Jess Dannhauser
0:30:33
Sure.
0:30:34
So, I'll give the a a broader review, and then we can, provide additional detail.
0:30:40
ACS, receives about 1,350,000,000.00 in federal funds.
0:30:45
It falls into sort of two broad areas.
0:30:48
One is childcare through the childcare block grant, goes to the state, and the state divvies up across the localities.
0:30:57
The one more relevant today is title four.
0:30:59
Title four e is one portion of title four.
0:31:03
There's about $310,000,000 that we get each year.
0:31:07
It has been the percentage of of young people who are eligible for title four e has been going down year over year because of some archaic federal policies.
0:31:20
Title four, generally, there's another hundred million or so dollars that are in that, which includes things, like adoption subsidy.
0:31:28
Right?
0:31:29
Because we continue to provide adoption subsidy past a child's time in care.
0:31:34
So that's the the breakdown.
0:31:37
Beyond that, we can get you, additional detail.
Althea Stevens
0:31:42
Given the uncertainty surrounding federal funding under the new administration, what contingency plan does ECS have in place to mitigate the effects of future, federal funding freezes or reductions?
Jess Dannhauser
0:31:54
Right now, OMB has been very clear to to continue the path forward.
0:31:59
None of the investments that we've made are being pulled back at this moment.
0:32:03
We are monitoring very closely.
0:32:06
Title four e is really key.
0:32:08
It's also was subject to bipartisan legislation not too long ago to expand.
0:32:14
It's used not only for foster care, but potentially for preventive services.
0:32:18
The state is still working with the federal government around drawing that money down.
0:32:22
So it it is a sort of bipartisan supported grant.
0:32:27
So I'm I'm hopeful that
Althea Stevens
0:32:28
I mean, at this point Yep.
Jess Dannhauser
0:32:30
So we're watching
Althea Stevens
0:32:31
It's all executive order.
Jess Dannhauser
0:32:32
So We're watching we're watching everything extremely closely.
0:32:36
ONB wants to work with us sort of more generally around contingency because we're not we're not sure exactly where changes might show up, and so we're just monitoring vigorously.
Althea Stevens
0:32:48
Yeah.
0:32:49
Because, I mean, what did you say?
Jess Dannhauser
0:32:50
$1,300,000,000
Althea Stevens
0:32:52
is a significant amount, and losing that funding, you know, I don't see how we can make that up.
Jess Dannhauser
0:32:58
You know?
0:32:59
It would hurt a lot of a lot of families, including on the childcare side, as I mentioned earlier.
Althea Stevens
0:33:03
Yeah.