Executive Summary
The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) Program provides flexible funding to assist States in providing a wide range of critical services to vulnerable older adults; persons with disabilities; at-risk adolescents and young adults; and children and families. 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. Services that these programs support are numerous. 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 who are in danger of abuse and neglect, services include protection, prevention, intervention, and adoption. Services provided for older adults 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 include adult foster care, transportation, case management, and treatment services. During 2005, the SSBG helped almost 17 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. 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). 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 2005.
Highlights of this report are listed below.
- The SSBG appropriation for 2005 was $1.700 billion. In addition, $550 million in supplemental funds were provided to the States through the SSBG to help families affected by the Gulf Coast hurricanes of 2005.
- The States reported SSBG expenditures of $2.513 billion, 33 percent ($832 million) of which they transferred into the program from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant. States have two years in which to spend SSBG funds; therefore, SSBG allocation expenditures do not equal the SSBG appropriation for 2005.
- Almost 17 million (16,777,771) individuals received services that were funded at least partially by the SSBG. Sixty-three percent of these recipients were children.
- The largest number of recipients received child day care services. In 42 States, almost 4.5 million (4,494,306) children received child day care services funded at least partially by the SSBG.
- The service categories receiving the highest proportion of SSBG funds were child foster care services (14 percent), child protective services (10 percent), special services for individuals with disabilities (10 percent), and child day care services (10 percent).
- Trend data for the five service categories receiving the largest amounts of SSBG funds show that, from 2001 to 2005, there have been increases in expenditures for child care, foster care services, and special services for persons with disabilities, and a decrease in expenditures for child protective services and home-based services.
- Expenditures for administrative costs have declined by 37 percent in the past 5 years, from $270 million (for 44 States) in 2001 to $170 million (for 41 States) in 2005.
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. 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. 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 and 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 2, 3, and 4.
