To: Board of Supervisors
From: DHHS: Public Health
Agenda Section: Consent
SUBJECT:
title
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)- Social Services and DHHS- Public Health for implementation of the CalWORKs Home Visiting Program (HVP)
end
RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Approve the MOU between DHHS- Social Services and DHHS- Public Health for the period of July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2022;
2. Authorize the Directors of DHHS-Social Services and DHHS- Public Health or their designees to sign two original signature pages of the MOU; and
3. Authorize the Directors of DHHS-Social Services and DHHS- Public Health or their designees to sign Exhibit A: Acknowledgement of Funding Allocation annually to acknowledge the award of HVP funding.
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
Social Services
DISCUSSION:
Senate Bill 840 (Chapter 29, Statutes of 2018), or the Budget Act of 2018 appropriated approximately $26.9 million allocated for Jan. 1, 2019 through June 30, 2019 for the creation of the Home Visiting Program (HVP) through the California Department of Social Services CalWORKs program. Assembly Bill 1811 (Chapter 35, Statutes of 2018) codified the requirements for the HVP.
The Budget Act of 2019 appropriated approximately $86.3 million allocated for July 1, 2019- June 30, 2020. Continued funding is subject to appropriation in the annual Budget Act.
The purposes of the HVP is to support positive health, development and well-being outcomes for pregnant and parenting women, families and infants born into poverty, expending their future educational, economic and financial capability opportunities, and improving the likelihood they will exit poverty.
This home visiting is to be completed by an evidence-based, voluntary program model that pairs new parents with a nurse, or other trained professional who makes regular visits in the participant’s home to provide guidance, coaching, access to prenatal and postnatal care and other health and social services. The pairing of home visiting with CalWORKs provides an opportunity to connect parents with necessary resources, improve their parenting skills and household order and ensure that their children have a safe and nurturing environment that allows them to grow and thrive.
In September 2018, DHHS-Social Services CalWORKs program, in partnership with DHHS- Public Health, submitted a proposal to implement the HVP in the County of Humboldt with the DHHS- Public Health Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) program. NFP is an evidence-based home visiting program in which first time, low-income mothers voluntarily enroll for home visitation by a Public Health Nurse (PHN). NFP has been shown to have positive impacts on child and maternal health, rates of child abuse and neglect, long-term impacts on birth rates, rates of incarceration, educational successes, maternal employment and parental capacity.
In July of 2019, the County of Humboldt DHHS- CalWORKs was awarded $325,428 in HVP funding for the DHHS- Public Health NFP program.
The MOU agreement before your Board today will allow DHHS- Social Services to reimburse DHHS- Public Health for PHN home visitors for providing home visiting services to eligible CalWORKs participants. The submission of the MOU is past the start date due to delays in the creation and approval of the Acknowledgement of Funding Allocation to acknowledge the award of HVP funding in future fiscal years.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Approval of the attached MOU will allow DHHS- Public Health Branch to receive reimbursement from DHHS- Social Services Branch for home visiting services in the amount of $325,428 from July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. The California Department of Social Services administers and determines subsequent year allocations. Funding for HVP consists primarily of Federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) (approximately 96%) and State General Fund (approximately 4%) and has been included in Fund 1160, Budget Unit 505, CalWORKs and Fund 1175, Budget Unit 426, Nurse Family Partnership for fiscal year (FY) 2019-20. However, if state or federal funding is reduced or eliminated, the County of Humboldt may reduce or terminate this MOU in its entirety. Subsequent year funding for FY 2020-21 and FY 2021-22 will be included in the annual budget process. There will be no impact to the General Fund.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework by creating opportunities for improved safety and health and providing community-appropriate levels of service.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
None
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
If the Board chooses not to approve the recommendation it will result in a loss of funding and services to the county.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Memorandum of Understanding between Social Services and Public Health
2. Exhibit A: Acknowledgement of Funding Allocation
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: C-17
Meeting of: 04/16/19
File No.: 19-465