Development of Fiscal Year 2016-2017
Legislative Appropriations Request (LAR)
Stakeholder Forum
May 15, 2014
Agenda
• Welcome
Judge John J. Specia, Commissioner
• LAR Exceptional Item Development
Tracy Henderson, Chief Financial Officer
• Public Comments
• Closing
Commissioner Specia
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Progress Report
• Adult Protective Services (APS) implementing
improved client assessment and decision-making tools
on September 1, 2014
• Child Care Licensing has increased staff dedicated to
proactively searching for illegal child care operations
– Since November 1, 2013: 408 operations investigated
– As of February 2014: 52 previously illegal operations have
submitted applications
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Progress Report (continued)
• Reduction in Child Protective Services (CPS)
investigator caseloads
– Fiscal Year (FY) 2012: 24.7 to 1
– FY 2013:
19.9 to 1
• Reduction in CPS investigation delinquencies (open
more than 60 days)
– March 2012:
– March 2014:
30.1 percent
20.8 percent
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Progress Report (continued)
• Increases in adoptions, particularly those involving relatives
All adoptions
– FY 2012:
5,040
– FY 2013:
5,364
Percent to Relatives
42%
50%
• Increase in the number of children in kinship placements
– FY 2012:
– FY 2013:
9,982
10,059
• Continued reduction in the number of foster children
receiving psychotropic medication
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External Reviews
• Sunset Advisory Commission
– Late May: public release of staff report
– June 24th and 25th: public hearing
– August 13th: Commissioner decision hearing
• Operational review of CPS
– February: analysis began
– June: report to be delivered
• Casey Family Programs review of Harris County
– December 2013: assessment began
– April: report submitted
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LAR Timeline
• May 2014
– Governor and Legislative Budget Board (LBB) provide
instructions, including policy guidance
– Public hearing
• June 2014
– Submit 2014-15 Baseline Request
– Continue preparing LAR documents
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LAR Timeline (continued)
• July 2014
– Brief DFPS Council
– Finalize items to be included as exceptional items
– Complete preparation of LAR documents
• August 2014
– Submit LAR to Governor and LBB
– Publish on agency and LBB home pages
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Baseline vs. Exceptional Items
• Baseline Request: may not exceed the sum of
amounts expended in FY 2014 and budgeted for FY
2015, per policy guidance
• Exceptional Item Request: any request for General
Revenue (GR) funding in excess of the Baseline
Request
• DFPS anticipates the policy guidance to allow an
increase in GR funding to maintain entitlement
caseload growth
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Categories for
Exceptional Item Development
• Ensure Solid Foundation for Delivery of Current Services
• Improve Safety for Children
• Increase Prevention Services
• Improve Staff Retention, Recruitment and Safety
• Improve Program Infrastructure
• Additional Initiatives
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Ensure Solid Foundation for
Delivery of Current Services
• Maintain FY 2015 Staffing Levels and Costs for FY 2016-17
This request would annualize the 2014-15 increases in staffing and
support costs for a full 24 months
• Maintain 2016-17 Caseload Growth for Non-Entitlement
Services
This request would fund the projected caseload in non-entitlement
services such as day care and other purchased services
• Replace Statewide Intake Automated Call Distributor
This request would replace certain components reaching their end of life
and directly impact the ability to take incoming calls
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Improve Safety for Children
• Focus on Review of Child Fatalities
This request would increase centralized, independent review of child
abuse/neglect fatalities and serious/near fatal injuries
• Improve Operation of Child Care Licensing
This request would allow improvements and efficiencies in the
operations of both Residential Child Care and Day Care Licensing
• Enhance Background Check Process
This request would dedicate staff to evaluating compliance with
background check rules and automate the process for a “Clearance
Pass” for persons working in or fostering children in a licensed child
care setting
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Increase Prevention Services
• Help Military and Veteran Families
This request would fund family support services for military families
experiencing deployment to reduce the stress that may result in child abuse
and neglect
• Expand the Project HOPES, focusing on Young Children
This funding would expand these prevention services to five at-risk
counties. Project HOPES stands for Project Healthy Outcomes through
Prevention and Early Support.
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Improve Staff Retention,
Recruitment and Safety
• Worker Safety
This request would provide staff dedicated to provide trauma support and
assistance in navigating safety procedures
• Improve Staff Retention
This request would fund additional training staff and support staff initiatives to
handle staff complaints, analyze exit surveys, and manage and implement a
comprehensive plan to improve retention and increase accountability
• Improve Staff Recruitment
This request would provide an educational stipend to Child Care Licensing staff
• Recommendations from CPS Operational Review
This is a placeholder for recommendations needing funding
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Improve Program Infrastructure
• Continue IMPACT Modernization
This request would continue the funding for the next two years of modernizing
the IMPACT system
• APS Improvements
This request would add staff to review facility investigations to ensure quality
and timeliness and decrease the ratio of supervisors to caseworkers to 1:5
• Improve CLASS Modernization
This request would review the current automated system for child care licensing
as well as other external systems and recommend a automated solution for the
2018-19 biennium
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Additional Initiatives
• Streamline Adoption Processing
This request would fund solutions such as expediting
redaction requests
• Enhance Forensic Assessment Center Network
This request would improve access to medical professionals
in order to improve timely diagnoses of injuries and medical
emergencies and to improve medical outcomes
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DFPS Exceptional Items
in HHSC LAR
Certain technology-related requests may be carried by HHSC on
behalf of all or some of the HHS system agencies. For DFPS
those items include:
•
•
•
•
•
DIR Data Center
CAPPS Financial Upgrade
Telecommunications Management Services
Cyber-security Advancement
System to manage and secure mobile devices, laptops, and desktops
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Public Comment
Public Comment
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Questions or Additional Comments?
• Email:
Stakeholder@dfps.state.tx.us
• Stakeholder website:
http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/About/Stakeholders/default.asp
Thank you for your attendance today.
We value your input.
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