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Administration for Children and Families US Department of Health and Human Services
Office of Community Service (left header) skip to primary page contentIncreasing the Capacity of Individuals, Families and Communities (right header)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) program provides flexible funding to assist States in providing a wide range of services to children and families; vulnerable older adults; persons with disabilities; and at-risk adolescents and young adults. Programs most frequently supported by the SSBG include child care, child welfare, services for persons with disabilities, home-based services, and protective services for adults. For elderly persons and persons with disabilities in danger of abuse, neglect, or financial exploitation, services may include investigation, emergency medical services, emergency shelter, and counseling. For children in danger of abuse and neglect, services may include protection, prevention, intervention, and adoption services. Services provided for older adults may include home care, congregate and home-delivered meals, adult day care, case management, legal services, and transportation. For persons with disabilities living independently in the community, services may include adult foster care, transportation, case management, and treatment services. During 2006, the SSBG helped almost 19 million individuals.

The Office of Community Services (OCS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), administers the SSBG program and provides technical assistance to the States. Funds are allocated under the SSBG in proportion to each State’s population. States have substantial discretion in the use of SSBG funds. Each State determines what services will be provided, who is eligible to receive them, and how funds are used within the requirements of Federal laws. States may provide the services directly or purchase them from qualified agencies or organizations. States also may use the funds to support staff training, licensing activities, planning and evaluation, and other administrative functions.

Each year, States must report SSBG expenditures, expenditures of other sources of funds, and total expenditures using a standard postexpenditure reporting form (OMB No. 0970-0234). On this form, States report data on the total number of adults and children served (recipients) and the amount expended for each service category. States count as recipients any individuals who receive a service funded, at least partially, by the SSBG. This report analyzes State postexpenditure data for 2006.

Highlights of this report are listed below.

  • The SSBG appropriation for 2006 was $1.7 billion.
  • The States reported SSBG expenditures of $2.77 billion, 34 percent ($944 million) of which were transferred into the program from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant.
  • Almost 19 million (18,718,668) individuals received services that were funded by the SSBG. Fifty-nine percent of these recipients were children.
  • The largest number of recipients received child day care services. In 41 States, almost 4.8 million (4,797,849) children received child day care services funded by the SSBG.
  • The service categories receiving the highest proportion of SSBG funds were child foster care services (15%); special services for individuals with disabilities (14%); child protective services (11%); child day care (8%); and adult protective services (7%).
  • Trend data for the five service categories receiving the largest amounts of SSBG funds show that, from 2002 to 2006, there have been increases in expenditures for child day care, child foster care, adult protective services, and special services for individuals with disabilities, and a slight decrease in expenditures for child protective services.
  • In 2006, States spent more than $193 million of the SSBG Supplemental Hurricane Relief funds, which is 35 percent of the total supplemental allocation of $550 million. An estimated 18,067 individuals received services funded by these SSBG supplemental funds.
  • Expenditures for administrative costs have declined by 40 percent in the past 5 years, from $234 million (for 44 States) in 2002 to $141 million (for 42 States) in 2006.

The six chapters of this report describe analyses of SSBG annual data and Supplemental Hurricane Relief Funds data in greater detail.

Chapter 1. Introduction. This chapter provides a history of the SSBG and the responsibility of States to report on their use of SSBG expenditures.

Chapter 2. Expenditures. This chapter summarizes findings on State expenditures and provides analyses of expenditures by State and by service.

Chapter 3. Service Recipients. This chapter summarizes findings on the recipients of services funded in whole, or in part by, the SSBG, and provides analyses of recipients by State and by service.

Chapter 4. Services. This chapter provides a detailed analysis of each service category funded by the SSBG.

Chapter 5. Supplemental Hurricane Relief Funds. This chapter provides detailed analyses of expenditures of Supplemental Hurricane Relief Funds in FFY 2006.

Chapter 6. Program Assessment. This chapter provides a comparison of the States’ preexpenditure and postexpenditure reports. It also provides information regarding the Federal program assessment of the SSBG program through the Program Assessment Rating Tool (PART) review process.

Appendices include a list of the State agencies that administer the SSBG; a copy of the postexpenditure reporting form and instructions; a data page for each State; and supplementary data tables providing background data for the figures in chapters two through six.