Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dcf Budget Adjustment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House Appropriations hears DCF overview as budget adjustment proposes 1.7% cut
Summary
The Department for Children and Families told the House Appropriations Committee the department's proposed Budget Adjustment Act represents a 1.7% decrease to the fiscal 2025 budget and includes technical revenue realignments, carryforwards, and transfers intended to maximize federal funds.
The Department for Children and Families told the House Appropriations Committee Thursday that its Budget Adjustment Act (BAA) represents a 1.7% decrease to the state fiscal year 2025 budget and is driven largely by caseload trends, technical corrections and efforts to maximize federal funding.
Commissioner Chris Winters, Commissioner of the Department for Children and Families, told the committee the department’s mission is “to foster the healthy development, safety, well-being, and self sufficiency of Vermonters” and said the BAA reflects changes across DCF’s divisions and fund sources.
The nut graf: The proposal shifts funding among federal, state and special funds to align revenue with eligible expenses, consolidates one-time carryforward funding for a child welfare information system and transfers select positions and program funding between DCF and other Agency of Human Services units. Committee members pressed the department for details on drivers of savings and timing for system updates.
Under questioning, Megan Seaton, Financial Director for DCF, explained the BAA includes a series of technical revenue realignments, notably moves of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and other federal revenue so costs eligible for federal reporting are charged on the appropriate lines. Seaton said the moves are “net neutral transfers of general fund and Fed fund” intended to maximize federal drawdown while using general fund to meet state maintenance-of-effort requirements.
The department said it will consolidate $1.8 million in carryforward funding into a one-time appropriation to simplify tracking for the Comprehensive Child Welfare Information System (CCWIS) effort and other one-time costs. DCF officials told the committee the department’s budget is organized into 13 appropriations and that some transfers reflect prior-year placement of funds into incorrect major operating sections.
Committee members asked for more detail on outreach and timing for several programs whose budgets were adjusted, and DCF agreed to provide follow-up information. Winters and Seaton characterized much of the BAA as technical alignment to funding eligibility and caseload trends rather than new policy directives.
Ending: The committee did not take votes during the hearing. Members indicated they expect further line-by-line review and follow-up information in advance of future budget deliberations.
