• SSBG Focus Reports 2004


• Adult Protective Services
• Child Day Care
• Child Protective Services
• Child Welfare Services


• Services for Adults and Children With Disabilities
• Services for Older Adults

The Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) program disburses funds to States to support social services for adults and children. This report is one in a series of focus reports describing SSBG expenditures and recipients for specific service categories, populations, and clusters of services, based on data published in the SSBG Annual Report 2004.[1]

Services for Adults and Children with Disabilities

The U.S. Census Bureau identified 51.2 million people -- about 18 percent of Americans in 2002 -- who said they had a disability; for 32.5 million of them, 12 percent of Americans, the disability was severe. About 14.3 million people age 15 and older had limitations in cognitive functioning or a mental or emotional illness that interfered with their daily activities, such as Alzheimer's disease, depression or mental retardation. This group comprised 6 percent of the population.

More than 11 million individuals between the ages of 16 and 64 years (6% of people this age) reported that they had a condition that affected their ability to work. Further, the poverty rate for people 25 to 64 with no disability was 8 percent, compared with 11 percent for those with a nonsevere disability and 26 percent for people with a severe disability.[2]

The SSBG is a critical source of Federal funds for services for adults and children with disabilities. Twenty-seven States reported using the SSBG to fund special services for adults and children with disabilities, which was the largest of the 29 service expenditure categories in 2004.

The SSBG provides funds to States, in proportion to their population, to assist with the provision of social services. States have substantial discretion in the use of SSBG funds and may determine what services are provided and who is eligible to receive them. In addition, a State may transfer up to 10 percent of its annual Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant allocation into its SSBG program. States report on SSBG expenditures and recipients annually in a postexpenditure report. The term SSBG expenditures refers to the expenditures of the SSBG allocation combined with funds transferred from TANF into SSBG.

Within the category of special services for adults and children with disabilities, States may include a wide range of services to maximize the potential of persons with disabilities; to help alleviate the effects of physical, mental, or emotional disabilities; and to enable these persons to live in the least restrictive environment possible.[3]

Component services or activities may include:

• Personal and family counseling;
• Respite care;
• Family support;
• Recreation;
• Transportation;
• Assistance with independent functioning in the community;
• Training in mobility and communication skills;
• Training in the use of special aids and appliances; and
• Self-sufficiency skills development.

Highlights of SSBG's role in the funding of special services for adults and children with disabilities are listed below.

• Services were provided to more than 1.3 million individuals with disabilities; 28 percent of these individuals were children.
• During 2004, 27 States reported $336 million in SSBG expenditures on services for adults and children with disabilities. This amount was approximately 13 percent of all SSBG expenditures, the largest of all service categories in 2004.
• Almost 10 percent of SSBG expenditures for services for adults and children with disabilities were funds transferred from TANF.
• Three States reported that at least 50 percent of their SSBG expenditures were used for services for adults and children with disabilities -- Montana (59%), Georgia (55%), and Kansas (52%).
• Approximately 3 percent of recipients of services for individuals with disabilities were age 60 years and older during 2004.[4]

Table 1 details the expenditures data, and table 2 details the recipient data for special services provided to adults and children with disabilities.