A recent Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
report,
Eliminating Social Services Block Grant Would Weaken Services for Vulnerable Children, Adults, and Disabled, found
that eliminating the SSBG would likely reduce critical services for
populations with unique needs. In particular the report notes that
eliminating the block grant could create significant service gaps for
children who have experienced or are at risk of abuse or neglect. Based
on data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in
2009 about one-quarter of SSBG funds were used to assist children
involved in (or at risk of being involved in) the child welfare or
juvenile justice systems or to provide adoption services; 44 states used
some amount of SSBG funds for this purpose, and 16 states used at least
half of their SSBG funds on these services.
The
report also highlights the need for SSBG funds in states were funding
for child welfare services for children who cannot be cared for in their
own homes and need to be placed in foster care, but do not meet the
outdated eligibility criteria for federal funding under Title IV-E. The
authors cite CWLA’s work around finance reform which found that in 2010,
only 44 percent of children in foster care met the IV-E eligibility
criteria. As the number eligible children continues to decline, states
face increasing pressure to maintain the support for these vulnerable
children and families.
Finally,
the report notes that states are in no position to replace funds to
serve vulnerable populations if Congress were to eliminate the SSBG.
Unfortunately, this trend of targeting vulnerable populations for cuts
continues as proposals to cut, eliminate, and block grant other funding
streams remain a top priority for key committees in the House.
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