To: BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
From: Board of Supervisors
Meeting Date: June 24, 2025
|
Department Contact: |
Darcie Antle |
Phone: |
707-463-4441 |
|
Department Contact: |
Kelly Hansen |
Phone: |
707-463-4441 |
|
Item Type: Consent Agenda |
|
Time Allocated for Item: N/A |
Agenda Title:
title
Ratification of Letter of Support for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and to Restore $81 million Cut to IHSS Administrative Funding and Reject CFCO County Penalties
End
Recommended Action/Motion:
recommendation
Ratify letter of support for In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) and to restore $81 million cut to IHSS administrative funding and reject CFCO county penalties.
End
Previous Board/Board Committee Actions:
The Board of Supervisors regularly issues support letters that align with the 2025 Legislative Platform. These letters advocate for adequate and ongoing federal and state funding, timely distribution of resources, increased local authority, and flexibility in administering and providing services.
Summary of Request:
In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) is a state program that enables older adults and individuals with disabilities to remain in their homes, avoiding costly institutional care. To qualify for IHSS, recipients must meet specific criteria, including being elderly, blind, or disabled, as well as demonstrating a low income.
County social workers play a vital role by conducting eligibility assessments, annual reassessments, and case management. IHSS costs are shared among the federal government, state, and counties.
The Governor’s May Revision for the 2025-26 State budget addresses a projected $12 billion deficit, in part by proposing cuts to health and human services, including IHSS. The Legislative Analyst’s Office projects that IHSS costs will increase by $1.1 billion (11%) due to case growth and rising costs.
The Administration acknowledges in its recently released IHSS budget methodology analysis that current county administrative funding is severely inadequate and that counties are underfunded by at least $246 million. In fact, counties have consistently been forced to overspend their state allocation to administer the program and are projected to overspend again in FY 2024-25. This underfunding results in a high workload for social workers, which undercuts timely access to IHSS services. Imposing penalties on counties without providing adequate administrative funding will result in difficult tradeoffs in the program. The proposed cuts in the May Revision may:
• Further strain county IHSS operations, risking delays in processing;
• Jeopardize over 300 social worker jobs statewide;
• Force counties to reallocate resources away from essential duties and further hinder service delivery;
Shifting federal penalty costs to already underfunded counties threatens the well-being of thousands of Californians dependent on IHSS for care.
Alternative Action/Motion:
Do not ratify letter of support and provide alternative direction.
Strategic Plan Priority Designation: A Safe and Healthy County
Supervisorial District: All
Vote Requirement: Majority
Supplemental Information Available Online At: The 2025-26 Budget: In-Home Supportive Services <https://lao.ca.gov/Publications/Report/5009>
Fiscal Details:
|
source of funding: No funding needed for requested action |
|
current f/y cost: $0 |
|
budget clarification: No funding needed for requested action |
|
annual recurring cost: $0 |
|
budgeted in current f/y (if no, please describe): No |
|
revenue agreement: No |
AGREEMENT/RESOLUTION/ORDINANCE APPROVED BY COUNTY COUNSEL: N/A
CEO Liaison: Executive Office
CEO Review: Yes
CEO Comments:
FOR COB USE ONLY
|
Executed By: Atlas Pearson, Senior Deputy Clerk |
Final Status: Approved |
|
Date: June 24, 2025 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|