AGENDA DATE: 2/3/2021
TITLE:
Title
Albemarle County Department of Social Services (ACDSS) FY20 Annual Report
SUBJECT/PROPOSAL/REQUEST: Presentation of the ACDSS FY20 Annual Report
ITEM TYPE: Regular Information Item
STAFF CONTACT(S): Savides, Walker
PRESENTER (S): Amy Laufer, Advisory Board Member
LEGAL REVIEW: Not Required
REVIEWED BY: Jeffrey B. Richardson
BACKGROUND: Pursuant to Virginia Code § 63.2-300, all counties in Virginia are required to establish a local board to oversee the provision of social services to its residents. The Board of Supervisors established the Albemarle County Department of Social Services Advisory Board in 1997. Pursuant to Virginia Code § 63.2-305, the Advisory Board is required to make an annual report to the Board of Supervisors, concurrent with the Department’s budget presentation, concerning the administration of the public welfare program.
STRATEGIC PLAN: Quality Government Operations: Ensure County government’s capacity to provide high quality service that achieves community priorities.
DISCUSSION: The FY20 Annual Report (Attachment A) provides a summary of the Department’s programs and services, including the number of cases in each program area for the year, coupled with stories of some of those served. Also included are the Department’s Key Performance Indicators and unaudited statements of financial resources.
Of note in this report is the significant increase in SNAP applications as a result of the effect of the pandemic on employment. Additionally, the increase in Family Support cases is largely due to the increased needs of families in a virtual learning environment. Staff has seen an increase in the number of children entering foster care, primarily due to the lack of extended family and/or support system that could provide alternative placement. The numbers of finalized adoptions continue to increase, which reflects our commitment to achieving permanency for children. Finally, the workload measures data show that, in many of our programs, the department continues to operate with less than the required number of staff as determined by the 2008 VDSS Workload Measures study.
BUDGET IMPACT: Funding for the Department of Social Services is included in the County’s annual operating budget.
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Board receive the Department of Social Services Advisory Board’s FY20 Annual Report as presented.
ATTACHMENTS:
A - Annual Report