Empowering Communities to Serve Youth

A collaborative, child-centered, family-focused, community-based system of care that effectively meets the needs of youth and their families in the Commonwealth.

Systems of Care: Promotes policies, uniform guidelines, services, funding, and practices that support systems of care in communities that can be tailored to meet the unique strengths, resources, and needs of youth, families, and communities.

Family Focused:  Promotes working in partnership with families to ensure that the assessment, design, delivery, and management of service is family driven.

Continuum of Care:  Provides access to a continuum of assessment, early intervention, treatment, and transition services and supports in communities.

Integrated Services across Agencies:  Provides for integrated services and funding for youth and their families with designated care management to ensure multiple services are coordinated across agencies and evolve over time to meet the changing strengths and needs of children and their families.

Collaboration:  Supports open communication, active participation, and collaboration among CSA stakeholders across all sectors and at all levels on program and fiscal policy development and service development, delivery, and management.

Fiscal Accountability:  Ensures fiscal accountability in that funds are spent effectively, efficiently, and equitably, maximizing the use of all local, state, federal, and private funding streams.

Inclusive Excellence:  Foster a culture of inclusion, diversity, opportunity, equity, and mutual respect for all Virginians.

The Children's Services Act (CSA) is the law enacted in 1993 that establishes a single state pool of funds to coordinate and purchase services for eligible youth and their families. Until the 2015 General Assembly renamed the Act, it was titled the "Comprehensive Services for At-Risk Youth and Families." The Office of Children's Services (OCS, Agency 200 - CSA,) is responsible for oversight and support of local governments in the implementation of this innovative, statewide system of care. Through high-quality technical assistance and training, high standards for fiscal accountability, responsible use of taxpayer funds, and use of data for continuous program evaluation and improvement, OCS strives to improve outcomes for youth and families and ensure the effective and efficient use of the Commonwealth's resources. OCS partners with a large and diverse group of state, local, public, and private stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of CSA.

The Office of Children's Services (OCS) established under §2.2-2649 of the Code of Virginia is the administrative body of the State Executive Council for Children's Services (SEC), the supervisory council for the Children's Services Act. The Executive Director of OCS, a classified state employee, is hired by the SEC. OCS, under the leadership of the Executive Director, is responsible for compliance with the Code of Virginia and implementing the decisions and policies of the SEC. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following: consistent oversight for program administration and compliance with state policies and procedures; training and technical assistance to localities in the provision of effective and efficient services to youth and families; collection of data regarding CSA-funded services; and development and distribution of management reports.

The Department of Education serves as the fiscal agent for CSA service expenditures and disburses reimbursement to local governments on behalf of OCS. The Department of Social Services provides operational support to OCS in areas of human resources, fiscal, and information technology operations.

OCS will continue or begin the implementation of several major IT initiatives during the upcoming biennium including:

• Using data analytics for purposes of utilization management, program evaluation, and continuous quality and program improvement.  


• Completing the conversion and ongoing update and maintenance of existing IT applications to comply with operating and security requirements of the Commonwealth and industry best practices.


• Upgrade/update the agency website to achieve compliance with language and disability access requirements. Currently, a Google translate feature exists but this does not address disability access or language access to numerous pdf documents.


• Redesign and deployment of the CSA Service Fee Directory.


• Implementation of dual-factor authentication for all external (non-COV) users of sensitive OCS data systems.


• Improving the functionality of local government reporting.


• Enhancing management reports available to local governments, policymakers, and the public.

Continued growth, complexity, and security requirements of CSA IT applications have created the need for additional personnel and fiscal resources. The FY2022-2024 biennial budget added funding to implement dual-factor authentication and provided one additional computer programmer (FTE).

The Office of Children's Services (OCS) is a small agency, with a staffing level of sixteen (16) full-time equivalent (FTE) positions. Over the past several years, there has been increased attention to cross-training of expertise, sharing of responsibilities, and succession planning. Recruitment and retention of professional staff is a priority and has not been problematic although there are limited opportunities for professional advancement that exist within an agency of this size.

As possible, OCS provides financial support for professional development activities including participation in conferences, educational opportunities, and membership in professional organizations.

The Office of Children's Services is physically located in leased office space located in Henrico County.  Lease negotiations are coordinated by the Virginia Department of Social Services (DSS) pursuant to an agency memorandum of understanding. DSS coordinates the Capital Lease with the Department of General Services. All available office space is currently occupied and alternative arrangements may be necessary to house the newly established FTE and additional staff now needing office space due to a reduction in telework arrangements.

Risk factors for the Office of Children's Services (OCS) for the FY2022-2024 biennium include the following:

• It is inherently difficult to precisely forecast Children Services Act (CSA) costs at the state and local levels due to the nature of the program. Costs are driven by multiple factors, many beyond state and local control, including the number of eligible youth requiring services; severity of presenting needs; availability, type, and duration of services; service rates; client eligibility for and general availability of alternative funding sources; and local practice and policy changes. Over the past three years, CSA expenditures have been level after several years of steady growth. It is believed that the COVD-19 pandemic had much to do with this trend. 


• Increases tied to statutory and policy changes at other state agencies (i.e., service rate increases at VDSS and DMAS) and inflationary pressures in the cost of private day special educational services are expected to drive increased costs in the FY2022-2024 biennium. Costs related to these services are linked to federal (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, IDEA) or state law (i.e., increased foster care maintenance rates triggered by state employee salary increases); and policy and practice tieing CSA service rates to Medicaid provider reimbursement rates.


• The implementation of standardized rates for private day special education effective July 1, 2023, as directed by the General Assembly has been a source of contention with the providers of these programs. This is despite diligent efforts by OCS to include providers in the process of developing the rate-setting model. It is unclear what complications may arise as this process is implemented.

For Fiscal Years (FY) 2023 and 2024, the agency budget is funded with $388.3 million ($330.7 million (85%) in general funds and $57.6 million in non-general funds (15%)). The primary activities funded through this appropriation ($385.1 million or 99.2%) provide reimbursements to local governments for the state share of the costs of services provided under the CSA program and local administrative support ($2.5 million).

Chapter 1 of the Appropriation Act allows for carry forward and reappropriation of unexpended funds in Program 453 from FY2022 into FY2023. OCS will work with DPB to determine the final unexpended amount and the need for funds to be reappropriated to cover expenditures in FY2023.

Out of the FY2023-2024 appropriations (Item 284, Program 4530) of Chapter 2, $31.2 million of the general fund and $48.2 million of non-general funds are transferred to the Department of Medical Assistance Services to support the state's share of Medicaid funding of residential treatment and treatment foster care management. Out of the overall general fund appropriation, $2.7 million is reserved to provide local government administrative funding ($2.6 million) and to support the uniform assessment of youth, a uniform web-based reporting system for local data, comprehensive data analytics, and training activities. The Virginia Department of Education serves as the fiscal administrative entity for these funds found in Item 284 of the Appropriation Act.

The remaining funds ($3.2 million) represent the administrative budget of the Office of Children's Services (Program 49900) and funds specifically allocated in Program 453 to support targeted functions (e.g., training and support for IT systems). OCS maintains a Memorandum of Understanding with the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) to provide continued support for human resources and certain information technology and fiscal functions.

The Office of Children's Services does not collect revenues.

The following statistics provide a snapshot of key CSA program outputs during the FY 2021 and 2022 program years. 

The Office of Children's Services anticipates the customer base to increase slightly to return to pre-COVID- 19 levels.  

The primary products/outputs of the Children's Services Act/Office of Children's Services (OCS) include:

1. State share reimbursement.  Local governments receive state general fund reimbursements for eligible services purchased (and paid) for youth and families with local funds. All CSA-funded services carry a local matching requirement, averaging 33.7% of the overall expenditures reimbursed. Local governments coordinate a wide array of services for eligible youth and families including, but not limited to, foster care and related services, private day and residential special education services, and behavioral health services. In the 2022 program year (reported as of 8/10/2022), CSA supported services to 13,720 youth. 

2.  Training and technical assistance.  A comprehensive array of technical assistance activities and robust training opportunities are provided to maximize the capacity of local governments and other stakeholders to implement best practices and maintain compliance with federal and state laws, regulations, and policies, as they apply to effective services and appropriate use of funds.

3.  Program audit, evaluation, and utilization management.  OCS implements a comprehensive audit program; collects, integrates, analyzes, and reports data regarding local program demographics, utilization, finances, and performance; and provides oversight to ensure appropriate review of purchased services.

4.  Information technology.  OCS provides web-based information technology to support uniform assessment of youth, collect client-based demographic and service information, and support the financial reporting and reimbursement processes.

Through collaboration with state and local government and private sector partners and under the direction of the State Executive Council for Children's Services (SEC), the Office of Children’s Services continues to meet its relevant goals and objectives. These include reductions in the utilization of “deep-end”, residential placements in favor of family- and community-based services, enhanced support of local government CSA programs through an enhanced training and technical assistance program, improved guidance and oversight through the OCS Audit program, modernization of OCS information technology, and expanded program evaluation and reporting capabilities.

Specific highlights include:

• Ongoing positive trends in the percentage of children and families served in which community-based services are provided to the exclusion of residential services. Costs for residential services have also been decreasing.


• OCS training activities have expanded along the following vectors: the number of individuals annually participating in training, an increase in the number of virtual training events allowing broader participation, a shift to a virtual annual conference and the New CSA Coordinator Academy in 2020 and 2021 in response to pandemic driven restrictions on in-person events (2022 events returned to in-person formats).


• In response to a finding from the 2020 JLARC report on CSA and with support from the General Assembly (new FTE), OCS has implemented a program of intensive consultation and technical assistance to local CSA programs that are identified as low performing or otherwise in need of additional assistance.


• OCS served as a lead agency partner in the formation of the Center for Evidence-based Practices in Virginia, a collaboration between state agencies (OCS, DSS, DBHDS, VDH, DMAS, DJJ, and DCJS) with Virginia Commonwealth University to support the implementation of evidence-based behavioral health services. OCS continues as a key partner in ongoing evidence-based initiatives.


• CSA continues to partner with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services to support the expansion of High Fidelity Wraparound a community- and family-based, evidence informed intervention for children which is supported by research indicating fewer placements and reduced length of stay in costly and restrictive, residential settings.


• Technical assistance requests are typically responded to within one business day and OCS customers report satisfaction with the timeliness and quality of assistance.


• OCS has updated local reporting systems, reducing complexity and improving financial and data accuracy and accountability.


• OCS has continued to build a transparent and information set of program evaluation and performance measurement tools which are available to all CSA partners and the public at large. These tools include those analyzing approved performance metrics, financial activities, program utilization indicators, and outcome measures and reports.

A comprehensive system of care ensures that eligible youth and families have access to high-quality services; youth are served in the least restrictive environments possible; funds and resources are effectively used in a flexible, coordinated, and sustainable way that is critical to the success of efforts to improve the coordination and impact of interventions; and services are evidence-based, culturally competent, trauma-informed, and client driven.

The Office of Children's Services is committed to providing high quality customer service to support local governments in their provision of effective services to youth and families.

•  Provide timely clinical review and recommendations to local CPMTs regarding residential services.

This objective supports the stated mission of the CSA to provide services that are community-based, recognizing the importance of serving youth within families and within their home community to the greatest extent possible.

• Provide training and resources on best practices related to community-based services.

• Identify localities with lower than average annual metrics on community-based services and offer tailored technical assistance.

• Continue fiscal incentives for the use of community-based services (differential local CSA match rates)..

• Actively contribute to cross-system efforts to increase the use of evidence-based and trauma-informed practices across service populations.

This objective supports the mission of CSA and is a hallmark principle of systems of care, i.e., that services must be family-focused. Families must be highly involved in all aspects of service planning including the identification of appropriate goals and strategies to achieve those goals.Family representation on local CSA FAPT and CPMTs is also supported.

• Provide training and technical support in topics including High Fidelity Wraparound and family engagement.

• Maximize family member participation on local FAPT/CPMT committees through collaboration with local CSA programs, the State and Local Advisory Team (SLAT) and family support organizations (e.g, NAMI of Virginia).

The use of intensive care coordination is recognized as a key component of an effective system of care and, as an evidenced-informed practice, produces positive impact on youth outcomes while reducing the cost of services.

• Provide training for CSA Coordinators, FAPTS, CPMTs, ICC/HFW coordinators, family support partners, and supervisors on ICC/HFW.

The Office of Children's Services (OCS) is established by § 2.2-2649 of the Code of Virginia to serve as the administrative entity of the State Executive Council for Children's Services (SEC) to ensure that its policies and decisions are implemented. OCS holds responsibility for oversight of program administration and compliance with state policies and procedures.

This objective supports OCS in its statutory responsibilities to enable local CSA programs to deliver efficient and effective services that are responsive to the strengths and needs of youth and families and which assist localities in effective operation of their CSA programs.

• Conduct annual statewide conference at which a majority of localities are represented.

• Conduct an annual new CSA Coordinator Academy, inviting all local CSA Coordinators hired in the previous year.

• Provide technical assistance to address locality needs as identified by localities, through local audits and/or through data analysis

• Implement a strong audit program to assist localities in identifying areas for improvement.

The Office of Children's Services is responsible for oversight of fiscal and program operations and the assurance of fiscal accountability. The appropriate use of resources ensures that funds are available to provide necessary services to youth and families. This objective supports oversight for program administration and compliance with state policies and procedures.

• Provide an array of public facing reports so that local CSA programs, local governments, and the public can monitor the use of CSA resources and relevant outcome metrics.

• Monitor local program use of fiscal resources through periodic reviews by the OCS Business Office and through regular and ad hoc program audits.

• Monitor and report trends in fund usage and service patterns via data integration and analytics applications.

The Office of Children's Services strives to provide effective customer service and to ensure that local governments receive the fiscal support necessary to operate local CSA programs effectively and efficiently.

• Maintain effective information technology applications for tracking fiscal operations.

• Continually monitor performance of OCS fiscal operations.

This objective supports accountability for use of funds and continuous quality improvement in CSA programs.

• Collect, integrate, analyze, and report client-specific expenditure, assessment, and demographic data related to the CSA population of youth and families.

Virginia’s taxpayers, who provide the funding for the delivery for services to youth and families, expect the state to professionally monitor service expenditures, appropriately budget for state supported programs, and reimburse local governments the appropriate state contribution of expenditures in a timely and efficient manner.

The Office of Children's Services strives to provide effective customer service and to ensure that local governments receive the fiscal support necessary to operate local CSA programs effectively and efficiently.

• Maintain effective information technology applications for tracking fiscal operations.

• Continually monitor performance of OCS fiscal operations.

The Office of Children's Services is responsible for oversight of fiscal and program operations and the assurance of fiscal accountability. The appropriate use of resources ensures that funds are available to provide necessary services to youth and families. This objective supports oversight for program administration and compliance with state policies and procedures.

• Provide an array of public facing reports so that local CSA programs, local governments, and the public can monitor the use of CSA resources and relevant outcome metrics.

• Monitor local program use of fiscal resources through periodic reviews by the OCS Business Office and through regular and ad hoc program audits.

• Monitor and report trends in fund usage and service patterns via data integration and analytics applications.

OCS is responsible for the development and implementation of uniform data collection standards and uniform performance measures; distribution of management reports; and reporting on the nature and cost of all services provided to the population of at-risk children within the scope of responsibility of the State Executive Council (§ 2.2-2648 of the Code of Virginia).

This objective supports the Office of Children's Services in executing its responsibilities for ensuring the provision of efficient and effective services.

• Collect, integrate, analyze, and report client-specific expenditure, assessment, and demographic data related to the CSA population of youth and families.

This objective supports accountability for use of funds and continuous quality improvement in CSA programs.

• Collect, integrate, analyze, and report client-specific expenditure, assessment, and demographic data related to the CSA population of youth and families.

Through this Service Area, the Children's Services Act (Agency 200) provides the state share of reimbursements to local governments operating CSA programs for eligible expenditures for youth and families as authorized by the local Community Policy and Management Teams. This includes the state share of identified funding for local administrative costs and community-based "wraparound" services for students with educational disabilities. Additionally, this Service Area provides support to local CSA programs through training and the development and maintenance of information technology systems required to process reimbursements and to report on the CSA uniform assessment instrument, as well as other expenditure and programmatic data.

Specific activities under this service area as required by the Appropriation Act include:

• reimbursing local governments the state share of funds for services purchased for eligible youth and families


• transferring to the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) funds to support provider payments for eligible expenditures made by DMAS for CSA-eligible youth and services 


• assisting Community Policy and Management Teams (CPMTs) through training matched with community strengths and needs to ensure that services and funding are consistent with the Commonwealth’s policies of preserving families and providing appropriate services in the least restrictive environment. Training efforts also focus on operating effective and accountable local CSA programs and the identification of outcomes and performance benchmarks.


• improving data collection, integration, analysis, and utilization to improve outcomes for youth and families is also addressed as is providing support for the uniform assessment of youth functioning, e.g., managing training and electronic collection of data.

This service area is directly aligned with the Children's Services Act vision to support a collaborative, child- centered, family-focused and community-based system of care that effectively meets the needs of youth and their families in the Commonwealth, mission to "empower communities to serve youth" and with the statutory responsibilities of the Office of Children's Services. Authority for this service area is found in the following sections of the Code of Virginia:

• 
  

  § 2.2-2648 (State Executive Council for Children's Services)

  
  


• 
  

  § 2.2-2649 (Office of Children's Services)

  
  


• 
  

  § 2.2-5200 et seq. (Children's Services Act)

  
  


• 2022-2024 Appropriation Act, Items 284 and 285.

Additional authority is found in the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; P.L.108-446); regulations of the Virginia Department of Education (8VAC20-81); and Title IV-E of the Social Security Act.

State Share Reimbursement: reimbursement of state share to local governments for services they purchase for youth and families.

Training: training opportunities to support local governments and other stakeholders in the effective implementation of CSA.

Information Technology: development and support of information technology systems to effectively and accountably implement the CSA.

 

For FY2023 and 2024, Service Area 45303 is funded with of $327.9 million in general funds and $57.6 million in non-general funds. Out of this appropriation, $31.2 million in general funds and $48.2 of the non-general funds are transferred to DMAS to support the state's share of Medicaid funding of residential treatment and treatment foster care management. Out of the overall general fund appropriation for FY 2022 and FY 2023, $3.0 million is reserved to provide local government administrative funding and to support the uniform assessment of youth, a uniform web-based reporting system for local data, comprehensive data analytics, and training activities. 

The Virginia Department of Education serves as the fiscal administrative entity for these funds found in Item 284 of the Appropriation Act.

This Service Area supports, through general fund appropriations, the Office of Children's Services (OCS) in meeting its statutory responsibilities of overall administrative oversight of the implementation of the Children's Services Act (CSA) in accordance with state law and policies of the State Executive Council for Children's Services. 

OCS forecasts, budgets, reimburses, and monitors funds that local governments use to purchase services for youth and families under the Children's Services Act (CSA). It directs, manages, and reports data on CSA funded services. It works collaboratively with its partners (state and local government agencies, service providers, and families) to increase the capabilities of communities across the Commonwealth to successfully implement the CSA. 

Specific activities in this Service Area include: providing operations and oversight to ensure sound and accountable financial operations for the CSA; supporting, through training and technical assistance, the ability of local Community Policy and Management Teams (CPMTs) to implement the CSA so that services and funding are consistent with the relevant federal and state law, policies of the State Executive Council, and those of partner CSA agencies, as appropriate; providing communities with assistance on ways to implement a comprehensive system of care, promoting effective services in the least restrictive environment, and seeking to preserve families when safe and appropriate; and strengthening the role of families in the planning and implementation of services.

Additional areas of focus in this service area include promoting cost control strategies through utilization of alternative/flexible funding sources and services; continuous quality improvement activities; conducting fiscal and program audits of local CSA programs to provide an assessment of operations, identifying areas for improvement, and providing consultation and support for program improvement; maintaining agency performance measures, improving data collection, integration, analysis, and utilization to improve outcomes for youth and families and the efficient and effective operation of the CSA program; and providing requested clinical consultation and utilization review services for youth in residential care to assist localities to serve youth in the most appropriate, least restrictive, and cost-effective manner.

This service area is directly aligned with the Children's Services Act vision to support a collaborative, child- centered, family-focused and community-based system of care that effectively meets the needs of youth and their families in the Commonwealth, mission to "empower communities to serve youth" and with the statutory responsibilities of the Office of Children's Services. Authority for this service area is found in the following sections of the Code of Virginia:

• 
  

  § 2.2-2648 (State Executive Council for Children's Services)

  
  


• 
  

  § 2.2-2649 (Office of Children's Services)

  
  


• 
  

  § 2.2-5200 et seq. (Children's Services Act)

  
  


• 2022-2024 Appropriation Act, Items 284 and 285.

Financial Operations: Operation of sound and accountable financial practices to provide support to local CSA programs, manage the OCS administrative budget, and ensure transparent and responsible use of state and local resources.

Technical Assistance and Training: Published resources, technical assistance activities, training opportunities, and management tools to support local governments and other stakeholders in the effective implementation of CSA. The intent is to provide clear and consistent guidance across local CSA programs and the Commonwealth's youth-serving agencies on policy, program, fiscal, and practice issues.

Policy Development: Provide leadership in preparing policies for consideration by the State Executive Council and in proposing legislative initiatives.



Program Audits: Independent, objective assurance and consulting services designed to add value and improve the operations of locally administered CSA programs. Local program audits ensure a systematic, disciplined approach to program oversight to improve the effectiveness of risk management, internal controls, and governance processes. Program Audits evaluate the effectiveness of internal controls and organizational practices applicable to the financial and operational activities of CSA. 



Utilization Management/Statistical Reporting:  Integration, analysis, and reporting on fiscal, demographic, and assessment data for purposes of program evaluation and improvement.

Utilization Review: Conduct state-sponsored review and clinical consultation of residential services for youth funded through CSA upon local request.

Information Technology: Development, implementation, and support of information technology systems to manage state and local implementation of the CSA.

Mandatory Uniform Assessment Instrument: Provide an automated database (CANVaS), monitoring/oversight, training and technical assistance, and data reporting of the statewide mandatory uniform assessment instrument, the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS).

Included in the FY2023-2024 appropriation is $2.7 million in general funds each year for the Office of Children's Services (OCS) administrative functions.  This appropriation is found in Item 285 of the Appropriation Act (Chapter 2). OCS maintains a Memorandum of Understanding with the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS) to provide support for human resources, certain information technology, and fiscal functions of the OCS.