County and service providers warn federal HHS staffing cuts and budget proposals threaten local seniors, families and child services

Lake County social services staff and community partners told the Board of Supervisors on April 8 that recent federal actions and staffing cuts at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL) are already disrupting local programs and could produce deeper interruptions if additional budget cuts are finalized.

Social Services Director Rachel Dillman Parsons summarized the federal situation for supervisors and described how the county’s basic safety-net funding and services are exposed to shifts in federal policy and staffing. “These federal cuts, layoffs, tariffs, and this proposed budget, we'll be putting our most vulnerable, our seniors, veterans, disabled individuals, children and families at risk,” Dillman Parsons said.

Why it matters: County staff and nonprofit partners said the changes could reduce or delay payments for benefits and services that keep people housed, fed and healthy. That could raise demand for county safety-net services at the same time available federal and state funding becomes less certain.

Key local figures and figures cited by staff - “50% of Lake County is on Medi-Cal,” Dillman Parsons told the board, and “25% of Lake County gets CalFresh,” which she said brings about $3,000,000 into the local economy each month. - “2,716 people receive IHSS benefits,” she said; “we are paying $6,000,000 monthly to the providers of those services.” - The county’s HUD Section 8 voucher program assists “89 families and issues approximately $145,000 per month,” the presentation said.

What county and partners described - ACL elimination and staffing cuts: Dillman Parsons said the Administration for Community Living had been “entirely eliminated” at the federal level, and that the agency’s functions and staff were slated to be absorbed by HHS with no published plan. Local senior-center leaders said ACL program changes jeopardize Older Americans Act funding, Meals on Wheels, transportation, caregiver respite and legal aid for older adults.

- Mass HHS layoffs and program disruptions: Dillman Parsons said reports indicate “25 to 38% of staffing is gone” at HHS and that the cuts will likely cause funding delays and program disruptions even where funding is nominally unchanged.

- Social security operational changes: Dillman Parsons warned enacted changes to Social Security procedures — new identity-proofing requirements and increased recoupments for overpayments — could create barriers for homebound residents and leave some people temporarily without expected income. “If there is an overpayment in Social Security, they're gonna recoup a percentage until it's paid back,” she said, calling the change “concerning.”

Local nonprofit and provider statements - Amanda Gonzales, executive director of the LaSern Alpine Senior Center, told supervisors the senior center is a “lifeline” that provides nutrition and socialization to keep older residents independent. “It would be detrimental to our community to lose any sort of funding for the seniors and the people who frequent the center,” she said. - Lisa Varro, executive director of Lake Family Resource Center, urged the board to advocate for Older Americans Act funding, describing meals-on-wheels clients and the center’s thin margins: “One in three programs have a wait list for services. We cannot sustain it without receiving expected OAA reimbursements on time and in full.” - Rebecca Stewart (Coastal Seniors, Mendocino) and Jill Rexroad (Fort Bragg Senior Center) described large meal volumes and wellness checks that would be at risk in a funding disruption. - Dan McIntyre, executive director of North Coast Opportunities, said Head Start and childcare operations face delays because regional federal offices that handle grant approvals have been cut or reassigned. He said the county’s local Early Head Start reapplication deadline and other grant draws could be delayed, creating immediate service gaps. - Sandra Kliesner of North Coast Energy Services warned that LIHEAP staffing losses have already been enacted at the federal level and said her organization would lay off staff and might close without federal LIHEAP support. - Leslie Firth, volunteer vice president of Clear Lake Gleaners, said local gleaner operations are already straining: the organization serves roughly 7,800 individuals per month across nine distribution centers and relies on grocery partnerships and volunteers to meet demand; the USDA cut of $500 million to food banks, she warned, could reduce available food variety and quantity.

County data and risk discussion Dillman Parsons’ presentation listed several county-level program totals to illustrate exposure: half the county on Medi-Cal; CalFresh bringing $3 million monthly; nearly 900 families on CalWORKs; thousands of IHSS recipients; tens of thousands of seniors receiving meals through the Area Agency on Aging network. She said some federal changes (for example, some continuing resolutions) temporarily preserve current funding levels, but the long-term federal budget process could produce cuts by May that would begin to change that outlook.

Board response and next steps Supervisors thanked staff and partners for the briefing and said they were coordinating with Congressman Thompson’s office and statewide associations (CSAC, RCRC, NACO) on advocacy. Supervisors asked staff to continue tracking program-level impacts and to return with updates and materials that the board could use in federal and state advocacy. Several supervisors pressed for contingency planning, including an awareness that realignment funds could not fully replace federal program dollars.

Ending note County officials emphasized the situation’s fluidity and urged residents and local providers to watch for official guidance and to work with county staff and nonprofit partners if they identify service disruptions or urgent needs. “We have to look out for our people,” Vice Chair Rasmussen said, thanking the social services staff and community partners for their reporting and planning.