Department of Social Services [765]
Secretarial Area: Health and Human Resources
Operating Budget Summary
This table shows the Governor's proposed budget for the next two years and the agency's official budget for the previous six years.
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Biennium Fiscal Year Source GF NGF Total
2010-2012 2011 Chapter 2, 2012 Acts of Assembly $379,562,717 $1,539,376,280 $1,918,938,997
2010-2012 2012 Chapter 2, 2012 Acts of Assembly $381,334,809 $1,521,079,922 $1,902,414,731
2012-2014 2013 Chapter 1, 2014 Acts of Assembly $377,008,290 $1,503,226,380 $1,880,234,670
2012-2014 2014 Chapter 1, 2014 Acts of Assembly $388,926,339 $1,465,172,076 $1,854,098,415
2014-2016 2015 Chapter 732, 2016 Acts of Assembly $392,352,241 $1,569,200,595 $1,961,552,836
2014-2016 2016 Chapter 732, 2016 Acts of Assembly $403,251,996 $1,589,470,738 $1,992,722,734
2016-2018 2017 Chapter 780, 2016 Appropriation Act $410,241,710 $1,604,856,248 $2,015,097,958
2016-2018 2017 Base Budget $393,970,601 $1,555,901,800 $1,949,872,401
2016-2018 2017 Governor's Amendments $16,573,497 $47,885,955 $64,459,452
2016-2018 2017 General Assembly Adjustments ($302,388) $1,068,493 $766,105
2016-2018 2018 Chapter 780, 2016 Appropriation Act $404,965,432 $1,593,965,976 $1,998,931,408
2016-2018 2018 Base Budget $393,970,601 $1,555,901,800 $1,949,872,401
2016-2018 2018 Governor's Amendments $12,475,094 $35,199,063 $47,674,157
2016-2018 2018 General Assembly Adjustments ($1,480,263) $2,865,113 $1,384,850
Positions Budget Summary
Biennium Fiscal Year Source GF NGF Total
2010-2012 2011 Chapter 2, 2012 Acts of Assembly 376.21 1,260.29 1,636.50
2010-2012 2012 Chapter 2, 2012 Acts of Assembly 398.21 1,282.29 1,680.50
2012-2014 2013 Chapter 1, 2014 Acts of Assembly 405.21 1,297.29 1,702.50
2012-2014 2014 Chapter 1, 2014 Acts of Assembly 400.21 1,305.29 1,705.50
2014-2016 2015 Chapter 732, 2016 Acts of Assembly 559.21 1,162.29 1,721.50
2014-2016 2016 Chapter 732, 2016 Acts of Assembly 615.21 1,213.29 1,828.50
2016-2018 2017 Chapter 780, 2016 Appropriation Act 615.21 1,216.29 1,831.50
2016-2018 2017 Base Budget 615.21 1,213.29 1,828.50
2016-2018 2017 Governor's Amendments 0.00 3.00 3.00
2016-2018 2017 General Assembly Adjustments 0.00 0.00 0.00
2016-2018 2018 Chapter 780, 2016 Appropriation Act 618.49 1,221.01 1,839.50
2016-2018 2018 Base Budget 615.21 1,213.29 1,828.50
2016-2018 2018 Governor's Amendments 3.28 7.72 11.00
2016-2018 2018 General Assembly Adjustments 0.00 0.00 0.00
Operating Budget Addenda (in order of greatest impact)
Adjust appropriation for changes in information technology costs Base Budget Adjustment
  Adjusts appropriation for the changes in information technology costs budgeted in Central Appropriations, Items 468.M. and 470.B. of Chapter 665, 2015 Acts of Assembly.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $1,259,227 $1,259,227
Nongeneral Fund $2,106,360 $2,106,360
Distribute savings to agency budgets Base Budget Adjustment
  Moves savings budgeted centrally in Paragraph A, Item 471.10, Chapter 665, 2015 Acts of Assembly from Central Appropriations to the individual budgets of state agencies.
 
  FY FY
General Fund ($3,225,307) ($3,225,307)
Adjust appropriation for centrally funded retirement rate changes Base Budget Adjustment
  Adjusts appropriation for changes in state employee retirement rates to 80 percent of the Virginia Retirement System Board certified rates budgeted in Central Appropriations, Item 467.H. of Chapter 665, 2015 Acts of Assembly. A companion adjustment provides funding to increase state employee retirement rates to 90 percent of the Virginia Retirement System Board certified rate.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $675,916 $675,916
Nongeneral Fund $2,344,714 $2,344,714
Adjust appropriation for the centrally funded two percent salary increase for state supported local employees Base Budget Adjustment
  Adjusts appropriation for the two percent salary increase for state supported local employees budgeted in Central Appropriations, Item 467.R. of Chapter 665, 2015 Acts of Assembly.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $2,175,235 $2,175,235
Adjust appropriation for the centrally funded two percent salary increase for state employees Base Budget Adjustment
  Adjusts appropriation for the two percent salary increase for state employees budgeted in Central Appropriations, Item 467.P. of Chapter 665, 2015 Acts of Assembly.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $530,093 $530,093
Nongeneral Fund $1,552,277 $1,552,277
Adjust appropriation to accelerate the employer retirement contribution phase in schedule Base Budget Adjustment
  Adjusts appropriation for changes in employee retirement rates to 90 percent of the Virginia Retirement System Board certified rate budgeted in Central Appropriations, Item 467.U. of Chapter 665, 2015 Acts of Assembly.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $422,614 $422,614
Nongeneral Fund $1,218,634 $1,218,634
Adjust appropriation for the centrally funded compression pay adjustment for state employees Base Budget Adjustment
  Adjusts appropriation for the compression pay adjustment for state employees budgeted in Central Appropriations, Item 467.Q. of Chapter 665, 2015 Acts of Assembly.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $389,982 $389,982
Nongeneral Fund $1,141,991 $1,141,991
Adjust appropriation for centrally funded health insurance costs Base Budget Adjustment
  Adjusts appropriation for the employer’s share of health insurance premiums budgeted in Central Appropriations, Item 467.G. of Chapter 665, 2015 Acts of Assembly.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $246,543 $246,543
Nongeneral Fund $991,161 $991,161
Adjust appropriation for the centrally funded increase in internal service fund costs due to salary adjustments Base Budget Adjustment
  Adjusts appropriation to agencies to offset increases in internal service fund costs due to the salary and benefit adjustments in Chapter 665, 2015 Acts of Assembly.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $44,959 $44,959
Nongeneral Fund $75,204 $75,204
Adjust appropriation for centrally funded state employee other post employment benefit rate changes Base Budget Adjustment
  Adjusts appropriation for changes in state employee other post employment benefit rates budgeted in Central Appropriations, Item 467.K.3. of Chapter 665, 2015 Acts of Assembly.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $26,504 $26,504
Nongeneral Fund $91,945 $91,945
Adjust appropriation for centrally funded local employee other post employment benefit rate changes Base Budget Adjustment
  Adjusts appropriation for changes in state supported local employee other post employment benefit rates budgeted in Central Appropriations, Item 467.K.4. of Chapter 665, 2015 Acts of Assembly.
 
  FY FY
General Fund ($22,627) ($22,627)
Nongeneral Fund ($21,740) ($21,740)
Fund the child welfare forecast Decision Package
  Adds funding for cover the cost of providing foster care and adoption subsidy payments. Based on recent expenditure trends and the impact of child welfare policy changes, this amendment adjusts appropriation to cover the necessary costs of providing payments to foster care and adoptive families.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $5,919,802 $5,919,802
Nongeneral Fund $10,775,980 $10,775,980
Fund required eligibility system operating costs Decision Package
  Provides funding to meet projected VITA and other information systems costs resulting from the transition of the Virginia Case Management System (VaCMS) from development to full operational status. This request includes funding for eight positions scheduled to be removed in FY 2018. By FY 2018, there is an annual funding reduction of $19.9 million due to the removal of all VaCMS base development funding.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $3,452,065 ($4,046,271)
Nongeneral Fund $961,620 ($15,844,295)
Positions 0.00 8.00
Appropriate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program employment and training pilot grant award Decision Package
  Appropriates new federal grant funds awarded to the Department of Social Services (DSS) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). The goal of this federally funded program is to increase the number of SNAP work registrants who obtain unsubsidized employment, increase the earned income of work registrants, and reduce the reliance of work registrants on public assistance.
 
  FY FY
Nongeneral Fund $8,354,023 $8,316,144
Increase capacity of local eligibility workers Decision Package
  Provides additional resources for local workers to handle a portion of the increased volume of applications associated with an expansion of Medicaid.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $1,402,388 $2,179,438
Nongeneral Fund $4,097,172 $6,367,376
Increase funding for programs using the home visiting model Decision Package
  Increases funding for programs following the Healthy Families America home visiting model from $4.3 million in Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds to $11.55 million in TANF funds annually.
 
  FY FY
Nongeneral Fund $6,750,000 $6,750,000
Appropriate nongeneral fund match to general fund central appropriation distribution Decision Package
  Provides appropriation to cover the nongeneral fund cost of increasing employee benefits. Agencies were provided the general fund share of centrally budgeted items, such as the recent salary increase, health insurance premiums, employee retirement. This technical adjustment ensures that sufficient nongeneral fund appropriation is available to fund that portion of these expenses.
 
  FY FY
Nongeneral Fund $6,284,710 $6,284,710
Fund the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families benefits forecast Decision Package
  Updates appropriation to properly account for the anticipated cost of providing mandated TANF benefits. Benefits include cash assistance payments, employment services and child care. The amendment also provides for a three percent caseload reserve.
 
  FY FY
Nongeneral Fund ($5,048,477) ($5,048,477)
Implement Fostering Futures initiative Decision Package
  Makes funding available to expand foster care and adoption subsidies to age 21 per federal Fostering Connections provision beginning in FY 2016.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $1,015,451 $2,925,954
Nongeneral Fund $999,050 $2,886,611
Appropriate funds for childcare automation services Decision Package
  Appropriates $2.8 million from the Child Care and Development Block Grant in FY 2017 and FY 2018 for child care information technology needs including maintenance and enhancements to the child care module of the Virginia Case Management System (VaCMS) and Electronic Payment Processing and Information Control (EPPIC) system and the EPPIC annual swipe card contract.
 
  FY FY
Nongeneral Fund $2,800,000 $2,800,000
Reinvest adoption general fund savings to meet federal requirements Decision Package
  Appropriates general fund for a mandated increase in child welfare services expenditures. Public Law (P.L.) 110-351 created a change in Title IV-E program eligibility criteria which allows some children, who previously were not IV-E eligible, to now qualify for IV-E which has a 50 percent federal financial participation rate. Currently these children are in the state adoption program, which is funded with 100 percent general fund. This change requires Title IV-E agencies to spend all savings generated from implementing the revised adoption assistance eligibility criteria on child welfare services that may be provided under titles IV-B and IV-E of the Social Security Act. The estimated cost of the Department’s mandated increase in child welfare services expenditures is $1.4 million in FY 2017 and $2.1 million in FY 2018. These costs must be reinvested by the Department as required by law.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $1,417,846 $2,126,769
Appropriate nongeneral funds for agency savings strategies Decision Package
  Provides appropriation for the nongeneral fund increases needed to offset the general fund decreases as a result of the Department’s savings strategies. The requisite nongeneral fund appropriation for those strategies that supplanted general funds with federal funds was not provided in central appropriations adjustments.
 
  FY FY
Nongeneral Fund $1,444,621 $1,444,621
Increase foster care and adoption rates Decision Package
  Raises maximum maintenance payments made to foster family homes on behalf of foster children by two percent. Appropriation Act language requires an automatic adjustment for inflation be applied to the maximum room and board rates paid to foster parents in the fiscal year following a state employee pay raise. As state employees and state supported local employees received, on average, the equivalent of a two percent raise in August 2015; this addendum provides a similar percent increase to foster care rates beginning in FY 2017. This increase is also assumed for adoption subsidy funding to ensure that adoption subsidies keep pace with foster family rates and to avoid any disincentives to adoption.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $826,419 $826,419
Nongeneral Fund $586,093 $586,093
Fully fund Division of Child Support Enforcement salary increase Decision Package
  Provides additional general fund to cover 24 percent of the salary and compression increases that would otherwise be funded by Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) retained collections. There are insufficient TANF retained collections to cover the portion of the salary increase for DCSE staff funded by retained collections. Additional general fund is needed to cover the TANF retained collections share of the salary and compression increases for DCSE employees, including to fund Attorney General salary realignments.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $537,220 $537,220
Capture anticipated surplus in the auxiliary grant program Decision Package
  Removes $0.5 million of general fund savings in the auxiliary grant (AG) program based on the latest spending projections. The auxiliary grant program is appropriated $22.4 million general fund. Due to fewer individuals participating in the auxiliary grant program, it is estimated that the program will only spend $21.9 million annually. This strategy will have no impact on clients or services.
 
  FY FY
General Fund ($500,000) ($500,000)
Adjust appropriation for the costs of the new Cardinal financial system Decision Package
  Reflects the agency's share of the costs of the new Cardinal accounting system. The Department of Accounts allocates the yearly cost of the system to agencies based upon the number of transactions the agency completed in the previous fiscal year.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $48,862 $51,648
Nongeneral Fund $197,529 $208,532
Appropriate funds for federally required background checks Decision Package
  Appropriates three positions and additional nongeneral funds to cover the costs of providing fingerprint background checks to childcare providers not identified in § 63.2-1721.1, Code of Virginia. The Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 (CCDBG) mandates that states receiving block grant funds require national fingerprint background checks for all child care providers who are licensed, regulated, registered under state law or who receive CCDBG funds. Fingerprint check requirements in the Code address the federal fingerprint check mandate for licensed child day centers and licensed family day homes only. All costs will be funded by fee revenue generated from background checks. Fees for background checks will be adjusted as needed to recover costs.
 
  FY FY
Nongeneral Fund $199,922 $184,433
Positions 3.00 3.00
Transfer central appropriation to appropriate agency Decision Package
  Moves appropriation that is inappropriately allocated to the Department of Social Services (DSS) to the Office of Comprehensive Services for several central appropriations amendments included in Chapter 665, 2015 Acts of Assembly. The Office of Comprehensive Services was previously funded as a service area in DSS's administrative program. Because of the information used to calculate some of the central appropriations adjustments, the new funds were incorrectly assigned to DSS. This adjustment corrects the error for FY 2016.
 
  FY FY
General Fund ($80,295) ($80,295)
Eliminate Temporary Assistance for Needy Families earmarks Decision Package
  Removes Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding for Visions of Truth Community Development Corporation ($25,000 NGF) and Zion Innovative Opportunities Network ($25,000 NGF) in Item 341 of the 2015 Appropriation Act. The services provided do not relate directly to employment and training and therefore fall into the TANF category of "non-assistance" where few outcome based measures are possible.
 
  FY FY
Nongeneral Fund ($50,000) ($50,000)
Adjust appropriation to support workers' compensation premiums Decision Package
  Supports the agency's workers' compensation premiums based on the allocation of program costs provided by the Department of Human Resource Management. The allocation is based on the historical experience of the agency and reflects the current policy of providing agencies with 50 percent of any increased costs and allowing agencies to retain 50 percent of any reduced costs.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $10,600 $11,271
Nongeneral Fund $33,166 $36,789
Adjust base budget to reflect current operations Decision Package
  Moves appropriation between service areas to align the program budget with anticipated expenditures. The department recently reorganized its program support division to facilitate changes in business operations related to the implementation of the eligibility systems modernization project. This has resulted in the need to adjust agency appropriations between service areas in the budget. This action nets to zero.
Adjust childcare and licensing appropriations to reflect operations Decision Package
  Moves appropriation between service areas to align the program budget with anticipated expenditures. The department received an appropriation in FY 2016 to implement legislation pertaining to the operation and oversight of family day homes and child day centers. This has resulted in the need to adjust agency appropriations between service areas in the budget. This action nets to zero.
Adjust Division of Child Support Enforcement nongeneral fund appropriation Decision Package
  Moves appropriation between funds to align the program budget with anticipated expenditures. This action nets to zero.
Eliminate sliding fee scale report and local needs space study Decision Package
  Eliminates Appropriation Act language that requires annual reporting by the Department of Social Services (DSS) on the sliding fee scale and eligibility criteria for the Child Care Subsidy Program and Appropriation Act language that requires a prioritized list of funding requests to address the space needs of local departments of social services (LDSS).
Eliminate Local DSS Funding for Medicaid Expansion General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment eliminates $1.4 million the first year and $2.2 million the second year from the general fund and $4.1 million the first year and $6.4 million the second year from nongeneral funds for an expected increased in Medicaid eligibility processing by local departments of social services. A proposal to expand Medicaid pursuant to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contained in the introduced budget would have required additional eligibility processing of Medicaid applications. A companion amendment in Item 306 eliminates Medicaid expansion.
 
  FY FY
General Fund ($1,402,388) ($2,179,438)
Nongeneral Fund ($4,097,172) ($6,367,376)
Reflect TANF Spending and Balances General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment is technical and adjusts the appropriation for the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program to accurately reflect the amount projected for TANF child care subsidies. In addition, language is modified to reflect the balance in the TANF program at the end of fiscal year 2016, 2017 and 2018 based on actions taken in companion amendments in Items 295, 342 and 348.
 
  FY FY
Nongeneral Fund ($5,000,000) ($5,000,000)
Local DSS Administrative Funding General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment provides $1.0 million each year from the general fund and $3.3 million each year from nongeneral funds for local departments of social services administrative operations for Medicaid application and renewal processing. Local departments have experienced an increased volume of applications for Medicaid as a result of open enrollment on the federal exchange and a subsequent increase in Medicaid applications. Consequently, local departments are struggling to complete Medicaid renewal applications.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $1,000,000 $1,000,000
Nongeneral Fund $3,250,000 $3,250,000
Provide TANF Child Support Supplemental Payment General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment adds $4.8 million the second year from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) block grant and language to require the Department of Social Services to provide TANF recipients with two or more children a monthly TANF supplemental payment equal to any child support payments received on their behalf up to $200. This amount would not be counted in determining eligibility for Medicaid.
 
  FY FY
Nongeneral Fund $0 $4,800,000
Increase TANF Benefit General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment increases the cash benefit for the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program by 2.5 percent on July 1, 2016. The current monthly TANF benefit averages $259 per month for a family. Since 1995 when TANF was created, there have only been two increases in the benefit, the most recent was 2.5 percent on January 1, 2016. The funding is from the federal TANF block grant.
 
  FY FY
Nongeneral Fund $2,215,665 $2,437,332
Community Action Agencies General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment provides $2.3 million per year in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding for Community Action Agencies. This additional funding will assist the agencies in meeting the needs of low-income individuals and families and allow them to use Community Services Block Grant funding to comply with new federal organizational standards. These standards include critical financial and administrative requirements related to modernizing the agencies to provider higher quality programs and services to low-income individuals.
 
  FY FY
Nongeneral Fund $2,250,000 $2,250,000
Increase TANF Funds for Workforce Training at Community Colleges General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment provides $2.0 million each year from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant to provide job training at Virginia community colleges for TANF recipients. Currently, three community colleges offer this service. This funding would allow the services to be offered at five additional community colleges.
 
  FY FY
Nongeneral Fund $2,000,000 $2,000,000
Reduce TANF Funding for Healthy Families General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment reduces $2.0 million each year from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant for Healthy Families. The introduced budget increased TANF funding for Healthy Families from $4.3 million to $11.0 million.
 
  FY FY
Nongeneral Fund ($2,000,000) ($2,000,000)
Provide TANF for Local Domestic Violence Grants General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment provides an additional $1.0 million each year from federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) funds to expand services for victims of domestic violence. This brings the total annual amount budgeted for these services to $1.3 million from the general fund and $3.3 million in TANF funds.
 
  FY FY
Nongeneral Fund $1,000,000 $1,000,000
TANF for Boys and Girls Clubs General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment provides $1.0 million each year from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) block grant for the Virginia Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs for prevention and mentoring programs for at-risk children who are eligible for TANF.
 
  FY FY
Nongeneral Fund $1,000,000 $1,000,000
Revise Expenditures for Unemployed Parent Program General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment revises expenditures for the Unemployed Parent Program in the Department of Social Services. Caseloads are declining, consequently funding is reduced by $500,000 from the general fund each year.
 
  FY FY
General Fund ($500,000) ($500,000)
Eliminate Funding for Positions Related to Eligibility System Modernization General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment reduces $350,825 from the general fund and $504,843 from nongeneral funds for eight positions related to the eligibility modernization project. At the beginning of the project these staff were added to prevent existing staff from being overburdened with the project in addition of their normal duties. The original plan was to phase out these positions in fiscal year 2018.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $0 ($350,825)
Nongeneral Fund $0 ($504,843)
Children's Advocacy Centers of Virginia General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment provides $300,000 each year from the general fund for Children's Advocacy Centers of Virginia to handle the increase in caseloads and coverage areas.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $300,000 $300,000
Funding for Birmingham Green General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment provides $250,000 from the general fund each year to contract with Birmingham Green which provides residential services to a disproportionate number of low-income individuals with mental illness or an intellectual disability.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $250,000 $250,000
Medicaid Eligibility Verification and Application General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment provides $50,000 from the general fund and $450,000 from nongeneral fund the first year for the Department of Social Services to automate the verification of zero-income reported on Medicaid applications with available data sources. The funding is one-time to cover the costs of the change to the eligibility system. A companion amendment in Item 310 directs changes to improve the eligibility verification process.
 
  FY FY
General Fund $50,000 $0
Nongeneral Fund $450,000 $0
Added Authority for Fostering Futures Program General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment provides additional authority to implement the Fostering Futures program. The introduced budget provided funding and limited language to implement the program.
Eliminate Report on Adoptions General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment eliminates a report on the Department Social Services' efforts to increase adoptions of children from foster care. This report was added in the 2015 Session and required the report be submitted on November 1, 2015. However, in the introduced budget this reporting requirement was changed to be an annual report. Since that was not the intent, this amendment eliminates the report.
Facilitated Care Reporting Pilot Project General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment requires the Department of Social Services to conduct a pilot project on data collection and reporting for local departments of social services regarding facilitated care arrangements. The language directs the department to determine the best way to collect and report the data statewide.
Report on Asset Verification Service General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment adds language directing the Department of Social Services to provide a report on the asset verification service on September 1, 2016 and develop a plan to incorporate searchable national real estate records as part of the service as soon as the data are available.
Temporary Placement of Kids in Crisis General Assembly Adjustment
  This amendment directs the Department of Social Services to work with Patrick Henry Family Services to implement a pilot program that provides short-term custody of minors to families involved with the pilot organization. The purpose of this pilot program is to evaluate a short-term model of temporary custody for families in crisis to help assist families from breaking up and children being moved into the foster care system.


p3_bullets - Official Enacted Budget - 06-07-2025 04:26:51