Office of Community Services

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) provides funds to assist States with providing social services to adults and children. The Office of Community Services, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services allocates funds in proportion to each State's population.

States have substantial discretion in the use of SSBG funds. Each State determines what services are provided, who is eligible to receive them, and how funds are used. States may provide the services directly or purchase them from qualified agencies or organizations. States also may use these 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. The form collects 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 2004.

Highlights of this report are listed below.

The SSBG appropriation for 2004 was $1.700 billion.
The States reported SSBG expenditures of $2.504 billion, 35 percent ($880 million) of which they transferred from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant.
More than 14 million (14,673,315) individuals received services that were funded at least partially by the SSBG. Almost 60 percent of these recipients (59%) were children.
The largest number of recipients received child day care services. In 41 States, more than 3 million (3,018,975) children received child day care services funded at least partially by the SSBG.
States reported approximately 13 percent of SSBG expenditures for special services for individuals with disabilities, 13 percent for child foster care services, and 10 percent for child day care.

The five chapters of this report describe analyses of these annual State 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. Preexpenditure Reports. This chapter discusses States' reports on their intended use of SSBG funds.

Chapter 3. Expenditures. This chapter summarizes findings on State expenditures and provides analyses of expenditures by State and by service.

Chapter 4. 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 5. Services. This chapter provides a detailed analysis of each service category funded by the SSBG.

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 3, 4, and 5.

Continue to Chapter 1