FISCAL YEAR 2015 BUDGET SUMMARY ($000)
ACCOUNT FY2015
Conference
FY2015
Vetoes
FY2015
Overrides
FY2015
GAA
Clinical Support Services and Operations 74,871 0 0 74,871
Roca Retained Revenue for Cities and Towns 2,000 0 0 2,000
Foster Care Review 3,029 0 0 3,029
DCF Local and Regional Management of Services 6,000 0 0 6,000
Sexual Abuse Intervention Network 699 0 0 699
Services for Children and Families 261,553 0 0 261,553
Family Support and Stabilization 44,611 0 0 44,611
Congregate Care Services 216,418 0 0 216,418
Child Welfare Training Institute Retained Revenue 2,095 0 0 2,095
Placement Services for Juvenile Offenders 504 0 0 504
DCF Family Resource Centers 5,228 0 0 5,228
Social Workers for Case Management 185,552 0 0 185,552
Support Services for People at Risk of Domestic Violence 24,449 0 0 24,449
TOTAL    827,008 0 0 827,008

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account description amount
DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES 842,652,666
Direct Appropriations
4800-0015 Clinical Support Services and Operations
For central and area office administration and service coordination; provided, that the associated expenses of employees whose AA and DD object class costs are paid from item 4800-1100 shall be paid from this item; provided further, that no funds shall be expended from this item for the compensation of unit 8 employees; provided further, that the department shall not place a child or adolescent referred by, or discharged from, the care of the department of mental health until the department of mental health forwards an assessment and recommendation as to whether the child or adolescent may be appropriately placed in foster care or if, due to severe emotional disturbance, such child or adolescent is more appropriate for congregate care placement; provided further, that the department, in consultation with the department of mental health, shall assist the department of mental health in making such assessments and recommendations; provided further, that if placement of a child with someone other than a parent becomes necessary, the department shall place the highest priority on identifying a family resource within the child's kinship or family circle and shall provide services and support to partner with the family resource in meeting the child's needs; provided further, that not less than $200,000 shall be expended for comprehensive background checks of all persons filing a registration of interest of foster care placement and their household members age 15 or older, including fingerprint-based checks of the state and national criminal history databases, as authorized by 42 U.S.C. section 16962; provided further, that the department and the department of early education and care shall provide standards for early education and care placements made through the supportive childcare program; provided further, that the department of children and families, in collaboration with the department of early education and care, shall maintain a centralized list detailing the number of children eligible for supportive childcare services, the number of supportive slots filled and the number of supportive slots available; provided further, that there shall not be a waiting list for the services; provided further, that all children eligible for services under item 3000-3050 shall receive such services; provided further, that the department shall maintain a timely, independent and fair administrative hearing system; provided further, that the department shall report to the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities on December 31, 2014 and March 31, 2015 on: (i) the fair hearing requests filed in fiscal year 2015, stating for each hearing request using non-identifying information: (a) the subject matter of the appeal; (b) the number of days between the hearing request and the first day of the hearing; (c) the number of days between the first day of the hearing and the hearing officer's decision; (d) the number of days between the hearing officer's decision and the agency's final decision; (e) the number of days of continuance granted at the appellant's request; (f) the number of days of continuance granted at the request of the department of children and families or the hearing officer's request, specifying which party made the request; and (g) whether the departmental decision that was the subject of the appeal was affirmed or reversed; and (ii) the fair hearing requests filed prior to fiscal year 2015, which are pending for more than 180 days, stating the number of such cases, how many of such cases have been heard but not decided and how many have been decided by the hearing officer but not yet issued as a final agency decision; provided further, that the department shall maintain and make available to the public, during regular business hours, a record of its fair hearings, with identifying information removed, including for each hearing request: the date of the request, the date of the hearing decision, the decision rendered by the hearing officer and the final decision rendered upon the commissioner's review; provided further, that the department shall make redacted copies of fair hearing decisions available within 30 days of a written request; provided further, that the department shall not make available any information in violation of federal privacy regulations; provided further, that not later than February 24, 2015 the department shall submit a report to the house and senate committees on ways and means and the chairs of the joint committee on children and families and persons with disabilities that shall include, but not be limited to, the following: (a) the number of medical and psychiatric personnel and their level of training currently employed by or under contract with the department; (b) the number of foster care reviews conducted by the department and the average length of time in which each review is completed; (c) the number of the department's contracts reviewed by the state auditor and the number of corrective action plans issued; (d) the number of corrective action plans entered into by the department; (e) the number of social workers and supervisors who have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in social work; and (f) the total number of social workers and the total number of social workers holding licensure, by level; provided further, that the department shall file a report on the first business day of each quarter to the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on children, families and persons with disabilities on the caseload of the department; provided further, that the report shall include, but not be limited to: (a) the caseloads of residential placements, congregate care, foster care, therapeutic foster care, adoption, guardianship, 51A reports, substantiated 51A reports, the number of children who die in the care and custody of the department, the number of children currently eligible for supportive childcare, the number of children presently receiving supportive childcare and the number of medical and psychiatric consultation requests made by the department's social workers; (b) the number of approved foster care placements; (c) the number of children in psychiatric hospitals and community-based acute treatment programs who remain hospitalized beyond their medically-necessary stay while awaiting placement and the number of days each case remains in placement beyond that which is medically necessary; (d) the number of children under the department of children and families' care and custody who are being served in medical or psychiatric care provided through other publicly-funded sources; (e) the number of children served by supervised visitation centers and the number of those children who are reunified with their families; (f) the total number of children served, their ages, the number of children served in each service plan, the number of children in out-of-home placements and the number of placements each child has had before receiving an out-of-home placement; (g) for each area office, the number of kinship guardianship subsidies provided in the quarters covered by the report and the number of kinship guardianship subsidies provided in that quarter for which federal reimbursement was received; (h) for each area office, the total spending on services other than case management services provided to families for the purposes of keeping a child with the child's parents or reunifying the child with the child's parents, spending by type of the service and the unduplicated number of families that receive the services; (i) for each area office, the total number of families residing in shelters paid for by the department, a list of where the families are sheltered, the total cost and average cost per family of those shelters and a description of how the department determines who does or does not qualify for a shelter; (j) for each area office, the number of requests for voluntary services broken down by type of service requested, whether the request was approved or denied, the number of families that are denied voluntary services and receive a 51A report, the reasons for denying the service and what, if any, referrals were made for services by other agencies or entities; and (k) the number of families receiving multiple 51A reports within a 10-month period, the number of cases reopened within 6 months of being closed and the number of children who return home and then re-enter an out-of-home placement within 6 months; provided further, that the report shall also contain the number of children and families served by the family resource centers by area and an evaluation of the services provided and their effectiveness; provided further, that to the extent feasible within existing appropriations, the department shall maintain existing services for the aging out population; provided further, that not later than November 3, 2014, the department shall submit a report to the house and senate committees on ways and means and the joint committee on children and families that details any changes to rules, regulations or guidelines established by the department in the previous fiscal year to carry out its duties under chapter 119 of the General Laws including, but not limited to: (I) criteria used to determine whether a child has been abused or neglected; (II) guidelines for removal of a child from the home; and (III) standards to determine what reasonable efforts are being made to keep a child in the home; provided further, that the department of children and families shall provide the caseload forecasting office with data on children receiving services and other pertinent data related to items 4800-0038 and 4800-0041 that is requested by the office on a monthly basis; provided further, that the commissioner may transfer funds from line item 4800-1100 into line item 4800-0015 for the purpose of maintaining appropriate staffing ratios pursuant to the memorandum of agreement between the commonwealth and the Alliance/Local 509, SEIU signed on March 25, 2013; provided further, that the commissioner shall notify the house and senate committees on ways and means 15 days in advance of any such transfer; provided further, that not more than 2 per cent of funds from line item 4800-1100 shall be transferred in fiscal year 2015; provided further, that the commissioner may transfer funds between items 4800-0038, 4800-0040 and 4800-0041 for services only, and as necessary, under an allocation plan, which shall detail by object class, the distribution of the funds to be transferred; provided further, that transfers shall not be made for administrative costs; provided further, that the commissioner shall notify the house and senate committees on ways and means 15 days in advance of any such transfer; provided further, that not more than 5 per cent of any item shall be transferred in fiscal year 2015; provided further, that not more than $250,000 shall be expended to hire a director of medical services; provided further, that not less than $1,000,000 shall be expended on mobile technology solutions for social workers and any other efforts made by the department to improve IT capability and accessibility for staff; provided further, that $500,000 shall be expended for the establishment of a runaway unit pilot program at 1 regional office in the commonwealth to help identify at risk youth and provide preventative services and implement a runaway recovery response policy; and provided further, that the agency shall provide full cooperation to the research organization selected under item 3000-1050 and shall make available to the research organization any information and data needed to assist with the requirements of this item
74,871,347
4800-0025 Foster Care Review
For foster care review services
3,028,757
4800-0030 DCF Local and Regional Management of Services
For the continuation of local and regional administration and coordination of services provided by lead agencies through purchase-of-service contracts, including flex services
6,000,000
4800-0036 Sexual Abuse Intervention Network
For a sexual abuse intervention network program to be administered in conjunction with the district attorneys
698,740
4800-0038 Services for Children and Families
For guardianship, foster care, adoption, family preservation and kinship services provided by the department of children and families; provided, that services funded through this item shall include shelter services, substance abuse treatment, young parent programs, parent aides, education and counseling services, foster care, adoption and guardianship subsidies, tiered reimbursements used to promote the foster care placement of children with special medical and social needs, an assessment of the appropriateness of adoption for children in the care of the department for more than 12 months, protective services provided by partnership agencies, targeted recruitment and retention of foster families, respite care services, post-adoption services and support services for foster, kinship and adoptive families and juvenile firesetter intervention programs; provided further, that not less than $50,000 shall be expended to the Weymouth teen center to provide job skills training, remedial education services, and to promote a social service program promoting growth and social welfare; provided further, that funds may be expended on programs that received funding in fiscal year 2014; provided further, that the department may contract with provider agencies for the coordination and management of services, including flex services; provided further, that funding shall be expended on children's advocacy centers and services for child victims of sexual abuse and assault; provided further, that not less than $250,000 shall be expended for the Children's Advocacy Center of Bristol County; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended for the Plymouth County Children's Advocacy Center; provided further, that not less than $140,000 shall be expended for the Children's Cove Cape and Islands Child Advocacy Center; provided further, that not less than $75,000 shall be allotted for the operation of the Catholic Charities Labouré Center and its Recovery Connections program; provided further, that not less than $150,000 shall be expended for a contract with Julie's Family Learning Program, Inc. in the South Boston section of the city of Boston; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended for the Fragile Beginnings program; provided further, that not less than $224,953 shall be expended on the College Bound Dorchester, Inc. program; provided further, that not less than $75,000 shall be appropriated to South Boston en Acción for the implementation of leadership development training, English for Speakers of Other Languages, science, technology, engineering and math, basic computer skills instruction, English-Spanish immersion training and Spanish-English immersion training; provided further, that not less than $25,000 shall be expended for the Planned Learning Achievement for Youth Program, P.L.A.Y., Inc., in Amherst, in collaboration with the department of elementary and secondary education, through an interagency service agreement; and provided further, that support for family resource centers funded through this item in fiscal year 2014 shall be provided through items 4000-0051 and 4800-0200 in fiscal year 2015
261,553,353
4800-0040 Family Support and Stabilization
For family preservation, reunification and service coordination; provided, that services shall include family support and stabilization services provided by the department; and provided further, that no funds shall be expended from this item for the compensation of administrative employees and associated administrative costs of the department
44,610,551
4800-0041 Congregate Care Services
For congregate care services; provided, that funds may be expended from this item to provide community-based services, including in-home support and stabilization services, to children who would otherwise be placed in congregate settings; and provided further, that the department shall oversee area review teams that shall evaluate the feasibility of maintaining the child in the community in this manner whenever possible before recommending placement in a congregate care setting
216,417,590
4800-0151 Placement Services for Juvenile Offenders
For a program to provide alternative overnight non-secure placements for status offenders and nonviolent delinquent youths up to the age of 17 to prevent the inappropriate use of juvenile cells in police stations for such offenders, in compliance with the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, Public Law 93-415, as amended; provided, that the programs which provide the alternative non-secure placements shall collaborate with the appropriate sheriff's office to provide referrals of those offenders and delinquent youths to any programs within the sheriff's office designed to positively influence youths or reduce juvenile crime
504,388
4800-0200 DCF Family Resource Centers
For the support and maintenance of family resource centers throughout the commonwealth; provided, that centers supported through this item shall be subject to the selection and reporting requirements detailed in item 4000-0051
5,227,963
4800-1100 Social Workers for Case Management
For the AA and DD object class costs of the department's social workers; provided, that funds shall mitigate social worker caseloads in those area offices furthest above the statewide weighted caseload standard and toward achieving a social worker caseload ratio of 15 to 1 statewide; provided further, that only employees of bargaining unit 8, as identified in the Massachusetts personnel administrative reporting and information system, shall be paid from this item; and provided further, that $200,000 shall be expended to hire additional staff and for associated operating costs in the department's fair hearing system
185,551,997
4800-1400 Support Services for People at Risk of Domestic Violence
For shelters and support services for people at risk of domestic violence and for the operation of the New Chardon Street homeless shelter; provided, that services funded through this item shall include: (i) supervised visitation programs; (ii) housing assistance programs to assist victims of domestic violence in finding and maintaining permanent housing or accessing local transitional housing as necessary; (iii) operation of scattered site transitional housing programs; (iv) counseling services for children who have witnessed domestic violence; (v) emergency shelter for substance abusing battered women; (vi) a statewide domestic violence hotline; and (vii) domestic violence prevention specialists; provided further, that $150,000 shall be expended for the operation of the Portal to Hope servicing Everett, Malden, and Medford; provided further, that the department shall continue to provide any match funding required by federal program regulations; and provided further, that not more than $1,100,000 shall be expended to increase purchased room capacity at current domestic violence shelter providers via an open solicitation to be awarded based on factors determined by the department of children and families, including demonstrated need in the community
24,448,905

account description amount
Retained Revenues
4800-0016 Roca Retained Revenue for Cities and Towns
For the department of children and families, which may expend for the operation of the transitional employment program an amount not to exceed $2,000,000 from revenues collected from various state, county and municipal government entities, as well as state authorities, for the costs related to the provision of services by the participants and the overhead costs and expenses incurred by the not-for-profit managing agent selected by the commissioner for administering the program; provided, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the commissioner of children and families may enter into a contract with Roca, Inc., a not-for-profit community-based agency, to manage the transitional employment program and to provide services to participants from the aging out population, parolees, probationers, youth service releases or other community residents considered to have employment needs
2,000,000
4800-0091 Child Welfare Training Institute Retained Revenue
For the department of children and families, which may expend not more than $2,094,902 in federal reimbursements received under Title IV-E of the federal Social Security Act, as codified at 42 U.S.C. chapter 7, subchapter 4, part E during fiscal year 2015 for the purposes of developing a training institute for professional development at the department of children and families; provided, that notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, for the purposes of accommodating timing discrepancies between the receipt of retained revenues and related expenditures, the department may incur expenses and the comptroller may certify for payment amounts not to exceed the lower of this authorization or the most recent revenue estimate as reported in the state accounting system
2,094,902

account description amount
Federal Grant Spending 15,644,173
4800-0005 Children`s Justice Act
For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Children's Justice Act
316,494
4800-0007 Family Violence Prevention and Services
For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Family Violence Prevention and Services
1,710,939
4800-0009 Independent Living Program - Title IV-E
For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Title IV-E Independent Living Program
2,917,156
4800-0013 Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program Title IV-B Subpart 2
For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program Title IV-B Subpart 2
4,911,277
4800-0084 Educational and Training Voucher
For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Education & Training Voucher Program
900,765
4899-0001 Child Welfare Services - Title IV-B, Subpart 1
For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Title IV-B Child Welfare Services
3,800,000
4899-0021 National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect
For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, National Center for Child Abuse and Neglect
461,942
4899-0024 Massachusetts Child Trauma Project
For the purposes of a federally funded grant entitled, Massachusetts Child Trauma Project
625,600

account description amount