Agency Mission

Pursuant to Chapter 436 of the Laws of 1997, the Department of Social Services was transformed into the Department of Family Assistance (DFA), and two agencies were established within the Department to carry out its functions and responsibilities--the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) and the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). OTDA is responsible for the administration of public assistance programs, including: Family Assistance, Safety Net Assistance, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI); the Federal Food Stamp Program and the State Food Assistance Program; the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP); child support services; refugee assistance programs; and homeless housing programs. OTDA, through its Division of Disability Determinations, also evaluates the medical eligibility of disability claimants for Federal SSI and Social Security Disability benefits.

At the county level, the aforementioned programs are administered by the State's 58 local social service districts (the five counties comprising the City of New York are one such district), with operational support and supervision provided by OTDA. It is vital that OTDA work closely with OCFS, which is responsible for child care services, and the State Department of Labor (DOL), which is responsible for employment and training programs, to ensure that public assistance recipients are able to access the services necessary for them to achieve the goal of welfare reform through the transition from welfare to unsubsidized employment, thereby achieving self-sufficiency.

Year-to-Year Change

The Executive requests All Funds appropriations totaling $4,839,475,000 in State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2001-02. This represents an increase of $124,291,500 or three percent from the SFY 2000-01 level to support State Operations and Aid to Localities programs.

The Executive recommends All Funds State Operations appropriations totaling $531,683,000, which represents an increase of $14,458,000 or three percent above SFY 2000-01 funding levels.

The Executive proposes All Funds Aid to Localities appropriations totaling $4,307,792,000 in SFY 2001-02, which reflects an increase of $109,833,500 or 2.62 percent over the previous year.

Legislative Changes

Transfer to Child Care Block Grant. System Support and Information Services. System Support and Information Services. Homeless Housing Assistance Program.

$(184,000,000)   ATL/SRF $(92,403,000)   ST/GEN $(90,000,000)   ST/SRF $30,000,000   CAPITAL

The Assembly rejects the Executive's proposal to transfer the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP) and accompanying appropriation to the Division of the Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR).

Welfare Computer Systems

In SFY 2001-02, approximately $219,918,000 is appropriated to support the cost of the redesign of the Welfare Management System (WMS) and the development of the Welfare-to-Work Caseload Management System. The proposed SFY 2001-02 appropriation of $246,743,000, which is a $26,825,000 increase for Systems Support and Information Systems, will be utilized for a uniform system. Only 10 counties will be hardware-ready by April 1, 2002 with no guarantee of an operational system by that time. The State is in need of a new approach for the implementation of computer solutions in the human services area. This determination is substantiated by recent reports (on Connections, New York State's child welfare computer system) published by the Assembly, the Office of the State Comptroller, and the Maximus Corporation, an independent consultant.

The benefits of such a system have yet to be demonstrated, as the system has been filled with delays and flaws, and statutorily required updates and reports have been delayed and/or lacking in substantive detail. The proposed appropriations and reappropriations for System Support and Information Systems total over $476 million, which is nearly 18 times more than was available in SFY 1996-97 and five times more than in SFY 1997-98. Including the current Executive proposal, since SFY 1996-97 the State has appropriated more than $1,000,000,000 for System Support and Information Services. Since SFY 1998-99, the Department has expended approximately $500,000,000 or 45% of the funds made available to it, with many federal appropriations remaining untouched.

It is in light of these facts that the Assembly rejects the proposed Systems Support and Information Services appropriations from Maintenance Undistributed General Fund of $92,403,000, from the Federal TANF Block Grant of $90,000,000, and reappropriations for Maintenance Undistributed General Fund of $25,000,000. This would leave $273,140,000 available to the Department for systems redesign, which is $75,000,000 more than has been expended for this purpose in any given year.

Legislative Proposals

TANF Surplus

New York State receives $2,442,930,602 from the Federal Government for the Family Assistance Program through the Federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Family (TANF) Block Grant. SFY 2001-02 is the fifth year of the Federal TANF Block Grant. The amount of New York's allocation is based on the State's caseload and expenditures in Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 1995. New York's caseload and resultant expenditures were significantly higher in FFY 1995 than are projected for SFY 2001-02; thus, the State has approximately $1,503,000,000 in federal TANF funding above what is needed to support the federal share of the Family Assistance Program in SFY 2001-02. This funding overage is referred to as the "TANF Surplus". However, the projected TANF surplus for SFY 2001-02 is $212,000,000 less than in SFY 2000-01 due to an administrative change in federal regulations governing allowable charges to the TANF Block Grant.

The reauthorization of the Federal Personal Responsibility & Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 will be necessary by September of 2002. New York has one of the largest unexpended TANF surpluses in the country. Should the State continue its trend of not disbursing funds that have been appropriated from the TANF surplus, these unexpended funds could be subject to federal recapture during TANF reauthorization negotiations. To facilitate in the disbursement of TANF funds by the states, the Federal Government has allowed the inclusion of individuals in families with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level in programs funded with the TANF surplus. The Assembly asserts that these funds should be disbursed expeditiously, to help prevent low income New Yorkers from falling deeper into poverty and to assist public assistance recipients as they move to self sufficiency.

The major components of the Assembly's proposed allocation of the SFY 2001-02 TANF surplus are as follows:

-- $549,000,000 child care initiatives including $15,000,000 for Child Care Wage Enhancement and $61,000,000 for Child Care Tax Credit;

-- $474,000,000 for transfer to the Title XX Social Services Block Grant and other related programs and services;

-- $323,000,000 for Earned Income Tax Credit;

-- $38,000,000 for summer youth employment;

-- $33,000,000 for family preservation and other preventive services;

-- $20,000,000 for a Wage Subsidy Program;

-- $18,200,000 for transportation in employment initiatives;

-- $17,600,000 for Fiscal Relief Initiatives including Home Visiting, Pregnancy Prevention and Youth Education, Employment and Training Program;

-- $17,000,000 for the Food Assistance Program to enhance support to local food pantries and summer feeding programs;

-- $15,000,000 for Technology Training Programs;

-- $10,000,000 for case management services for hard-to-serve populations and Alternatives to Incarceration Programs;

-- $10,000,000 for alcohol and substance abuse screening, assessment and treatment services;

-- $10,000,000 for adolescent pregnancy prevention education and services;

-- $8,000,000 to increase the child support pass-through for TANF families from the first $50 of support collected per month to $100;

-- $6,000,000 to programs to link housing providers and homeless families in order to shorten their shelter stays and expedite their placement into permanent housing;

-- $6,000,000 for domestic violence screening, referral and services;

-- $4,000,000 for non-residential domestic violence services;

-- $3,000,000 for Displaced Homemaker Programs;

-- $3,000,000 for Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID);

-- $3,000,000 for the Disability Advocacy Program (DAP) to provide assistance to individuals trying to obtain SSI;

-- $3,000,000 for Supportive Housing Programs for families and youth aging out of foster care;

-- $3,000,000 for Title XX Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program;

-- $2,000,000 for a Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program expansion;

-- $2,000,000 for Parenthood Counts to encourage active parenting;

-- $2,000,000 for Adult and Family Literacy;

-- $2,000,000 for new & existing vocational English as a Second Language Programs;

-- $2,000,000 for an aftercare demonstration program for youth being reintegrated into the community;

-- $1,000,000 for work experience programs in education and vocational settings;

-- $1,000,000 for Youth Education, Employment and Training Programs (YEETP);

-- $1,000,000 for Youth Enterprise Programs;

-- $1,000,000 for the Transitional Opportunity Program (TOP);

-- $1,000,000 for the Kinship and Caretaker Program;

-- $1,000,000 for Welfare to Careers to link college education to work experience;

-- $600,000 for medical examinations and workplace accommodations for recipients with work limitations;

-- $500,000 for the Family Loan Program to divert families from ongoing public assistance;

-- $500,000 for a multi-year independent evaluation of the Family Assistance Program; and,

-- $443,000 for the Green Team Program.

Other Initiatives

The Assembly proposes additional funding for homeless housing programs. The Assembly proposes an additional $10,000,000 for the Homeless Housing and Assistance Program (HHAP) for the development of additional housing units to address the transitional and permanent housing needs of homeless individuals and families. The Assembly also provides $5,000,000 for projects to improve homeless shelter health & safety conditions. The Assembly provides $2,250,000 for a homeless intervention program; $2,000,000 for supportive housing programs for families and foster children who are aging out of the program; an increase of $1,500,000 for Single Room Occupancy support services, and $1,000,000 for homeless emergency needs.

The Assembly also provides additional funding for programs that facilitate the transition of individuals from welfare to unsubsidized employment. There is $1,000,000 for a jobs program for non-TANF recipients. The Assembly provides an additional $1,000,000 for the Disability Advocacy Program (DAP), $1,000,000 for food pantries and Food Stamp outreach, and $250,000 for a study of people leaving public assistance. There are additional employment and training program funds allocated to the Department of Labor (DOL), including $2,000,000 for summer youth employment and $1,000,000 for technology training for individuals with HIV and AIDS. The Assembly provides $100,000 to the State Education Department for a Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities (VESID) study to develop a coordination plan for statewide employment services for individuals with disabilities.