FY11 Budget Testimony: Child and Family Services Agency

Executive Director Judith Sandalow testified at the CFSA Proposed Fiscal Year 2011 Budget hearing that the agency is making poor choices by cutting several cost effective programs and services that prevent child abuse and support the families that care for our children:

• Rapid Housing
• Grandparent Caregiver Program
• Foster Parent Stipends
• Community Based Prevention Services
• Parent Advocacy Program
• Respite Care

These cuts not only hurt children, but they will also cost the District money in the long term.  Fortunately, CLC has identified between $5.9 – $25.5 million in unaccounted for federal dollars in CFSA’s budget that could restore these cuts:

• Federal Support for Guardianship Subsidies: $3.2 – $4.8 million
• Federal Support for Foster Youth 18-20 Years Old: $2.15 – $12.89 million
• Federal Support for School Stability Transportation: $108,000 – $1.3 million
• Federal Support for Case Planning Meetings: $405,000 – $607,500

CLC urged the committee to work with CFSA and the Chief Financial Officer to quantify the precise amount of missing federal revenue and use the freed local funds to restore these programs.

Read the full testimony.