FISCALYEAR 2019-2020 - NJ Legislature

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FISCAL YEAR             2019-2020

   A N A LY S I S O F T H E N E W J E R S E Y B U D G E T

DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN
     AND FAMILIES
                       Prepared by the
              New Jersey Legislature
            c e ooff L E G I S L AT I V E S E R V I C E S
    O f f iice
                         April 2019
NEW JERSEY STATE LEGISLATURE

S E N AT E B U D G E T A N D A P P R O P R I AT I O N S C O M M I T T E E

Paul A. Sarlo (D), 36th District (Parts of Bergen and Passaic), Chair
Sandra B. Cunningham (D), 31st District (Part of Hudson), Vice-Chair
Dawn Marie Addiego (D), 8th District (Parts of Atlantic, Burlington and Camden)
Bob Andrzejczak (D), 1st District (All of Cape May, Parts of Atlantic and Cumberland)
Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D), 5th District (Parts of Camden and Gloucester)
Patrick J. Diegnan Jr. (D), 18th District (Part of Middlesex)
Linda R. Greenstein (D), 14th District (Parts of Mercer and Middlesex)
Declan J. O’Scanlon, Jr. (R), 13th District (Part of Monmouth)
Steven V. Oroho (R), 24th District (All of Sussex, and parts of Morris and Warren)
M. Teresa Ruiz (D), 29th District (Part of Essex)
Troy Singleton (D), 7th District (Part of Burlington)
Samuel D. Thompson (R), 12th District (Parts of Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)

G E N E R A L A S S E M B LY B U D G E T C O M M I T T E E

Eliana Pintor Marin (D), 29th District (Part of Essex), Chair
John J. Burzichelli (D), 3rd District (All of Salem, parts of Cumberland and Gloucester), Vice-Chair
Daniel R. Benson (D), 14th District (Parts of Mercer and Middlesex)
Robert D. Clifton (R), 12th District (Parts of Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean)
John DiMaio (R), 23rd District (Parts of Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren)
Gordon M. Johnson (D), 37th District (Part of Bergen)
Patricia Egan Jones (D), 5th District (Parts of Camden and Gloucester)
John F. McKeon (D), 27th District (Parts of Essex and Morris)
Raj Mukherji (D), 33rd District (Part of Hudson)
Nancy F. Munoz (R), 21st District (Parts of Morris, Somerset and Union)
Carol A. Murphy (D), 7th District (Part of Burlington)
Edward H. Thomson (R), 30th District (Parts of Monmouth and Ocean)
Benjie E. Wimberly (D), 35th District (Parts of Bergen and Passaic)

O F F I C E O F L E G I S L AT I V E S E R V I C E S

Frank W. Haines III, Legislative Budget and Finance Officer
Thomas Koenig, Assistant Legislative Budget and Finance Officer

Marvin W. Jiggetts, Director, Central Staff
Brian J. McCord, Section Chief, Human Services Section

                      This report was prepared by the Human Services Section of the Office of
                Legislative Services under the direction of the Legislative Budget and Finance Officer.
                                      The primary author was Michele Leblanc.

                    Questions or comments may be directed to the OLS Human Services Section
                (Tel: 609-847-3860) or the Legislative Budget and Finance Office (Tel: 609-847-3105).
DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES
                                Budget Pages .......   C-3; C-9; C-16; D-31 to D-41

 Fiscal Summary ($000)
                                                                 Adjusted                                          Percent
                                        Expended             Appropriation            Recommended                  Change
                                         FY 2018                 FY 2019                   FY 2020                2019-20
 State Budgeted                      $1,176,003                 $1,174,506                 $1,152,940                (1.8%)
 Federal Funds                           612,545                    613,445                    626,630                2.1%
 Other                                     54,884                     54,876                     54,876               0.0%
 Grand Total                         $1,843,432                 $1,842,827                 $1,834,446                (0.5%)

Personnel Summary - Positions By Funding Source
                                                                                                                   Percent
                                           Actual                    Revised                    Funded             Change
                                         FY 2018                    FY 2019                    FY 2020            2019-20
State                                        4,827                      4,832                     4,845               0.3%
Federal                                      1,567                      1,539                     1,539               0.0%
Other                                          296                        282                        282              0.0%
Total Positions                              6,690                      6,653                     6,666               0.2%
FY 2018 (as of December) and revised FY 2019 (as of January) personnel data reflect actual payroll counts. FY 2020 data reflect
the number of positions funded.

Link to Website: http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislativepub/finance.asp

                                                              1
Department of Children and Families                                               FY 2019-2020

Highlights

                                     Department Overview

The Governor’s FY 2020 Budget no longer displays the Department of Children and Families
(DCF) budget lines in a gross budget format and instead uses a standard budget presentation,
disaggregating appropriations of State, federal, and All Other Funds, as applicable.

The Governor’s FY 2020 Budget provides a total of $1.83 billion for the DCF, a decrease of
$8.4 million (0.5 percent) from the total FY 2019 appropriation. This change is the net effect of
a $21.6 million (1.8 percent) decrease in State funding and a $13.2 million (2.1 percent)
increase in federal funding. Funding from All Other Funds is unchanged.

State funds account for $1.153 billion (63 percent) of total FY 2020 appropriations to the
department, federal funds for $626.6 million (34 percent), and All Other Funds for $54.9
million (3 percent).

The DCF received $16 million out of the $100 million appropriated in FY 2019 for “Expanded
Addiction Initiatives.” The Governor recommends renewing the $100 million appropriation for
“Expanded Addiction Initiatives” in FY 2020 but the allocation thereof is unspecified. The $16
million allocated to the DCF in FY 2019 funds three opioid-related initiatives: a) $12.0 million
for the Keeping Families Together program, which provides supportive housing for high-needs
families; b) $2.5 million for peer recovery support services for Division of Child Protection and
Permanency-involved parents; and c) $1.5 million for substance use navigators for youth.

                               Child Protection and Permanency (CP&P)

The Governor’s FY 2020 Budget recommends $994.4 million in total funding for CP&P
($653.9 million State, $333.3 million federal, and $7.3 million other funds), an overall
decrease of about $1.6 million from the FY 2019 adjusted appropriation of $996.1 million.

State funding decreases by $6.6 million, which is the net effect of a $6.9 million decline in the
appropriation to the State’s foster care program, a $1.6 million decrease in the appropriation for
out-of-home placements, and a $2.0 million increase in the appropriation for family support
services. The changes are attributable to the continuation of a long-term policy that places a
greater emphasis on finding sources of care for CP&P children outside of the foster care system.
These intensified efforts affect the utilization rates of several CP&P programs. In addition, the
Administration anticipates that the CP&P will not need $6.3 million of its adjusted FY 2019
appropriations and that the amount will be returned to the General Fund at the end of the fiscal
year. Relative to current FY 2019 spending projections, the recommended FY 2020 State funds
appropriations to the CP&P will therefore decrease by $388,000.

Federal funds appropriations to CP&P programs are recommended to increase by $5.0 million
in FY 2020, while funding from All Other Funds is projected to be unchanged.

CP&P is the State’s child welfare agency, with responsibilities to investigate allegations of child
abuse or neglect; assist, preserve, and strengthen families in crisis; provide out-of-home
placements, when necessary, to protect the safety and well-being of children; facilitate family
reunification, when possible; facilitate permanent adoptions or kinship legal guardianship

                                                2
Department of Children and Families                                               FY 2019-2020

Highlights (Cont’d)

placements for children who cannot return home; and support adolescent youth (age 18 to 20)
aging out of the State’s foster care system.

The department continues to receive federal monitoring under the “Sustainability and Exit
Plan,” announced in November 2015, the anticipated final phase of federal supervision for the
State’s child welfare system. In order to receive final approval to terminate federal monitoring,
the State will need to meet several specified performance targets and maintain its performance
levels for at least two six-month monitoring periods.

The most recent monitoring report, published in February 2019 and reporting on the period
from January 2018 to June 2018, determined that the DCF met 41 of 48 performance measures.
Of the seven remaining measures classified as “to be achieved,” five were not assessed in the
mid-year report.

                               Children’s System of Care (CSOC)

The Governor’s FY 2020 Budget recommends $601.6 million in total funding for the CSOC
($367.1 million State, $234.4 million federal, and $150,000 other funds), an overall reduction
of about $6.9 million from the FY 2019 adjusted appropriation of $608.5 million.

State funding decreases by $14.9 million, which is the net effect of a projected $27.8 million
decline in the appropriation to CSOC out-of-home treatment services, a $6.9 million increase
in the appropriation for mobile response services, and a $4.9 million increase in the
appropriation for family support services. The changes are mostly attributable to the
continuation of a long-term policy of shifting, to the extent feasible, the treatment provided to
CSOC children from settings outside of the home to the children’s home environment. These
efforts affect the utilization rates of several CSOC programs. In addition, $3.0 million of the
recommended decrease in the CSOC out-of-home treatment services appropriation reflects a
shift of expenditures to additional federal Medicaid matching funds projected to accrue as the
result of the recent Medicaid accreditation of the CSOC’s residential treatment providers as
psychiatric residential treatment facilities. Furthermore, the Administration anticipates that the
CSOC will not need $25.5 million of its adjusted FY 2019 appropriations and that the amount
will be returned to the General Fund at the end of the fiscal year. Relative to current FY 2019
spending projections, the recommended FY 2020 State funds appropriations to the CSOC will
therefore increase by $10.6 million.

Federal funds appropriations to CSOC programs are recommended to grow by $8.1 million in
FY 2020, while funding from All Other Funds is projected to be unchanged. The increase in
federal funds appropriations is attributable to the increased projected utilization of CSOC
services that generate federal Medicaid funds and additional Medicaid funds accruing from the
recent Medicaid accreditation of the CSOC’s residential treatment providers as psychiatric
residential treatment facilities.

The CSOC provides behavioral health services to children and adolescents with emotional and
behavioral health challenges, substance use disorder challenges, and intellectual and
developmental disabilities. Most CSOC services are included within the Medicaid/NJ
FamilyCare program and receive federal matching funds through Medicaid or the Children’s
Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

                                                3
Department of Children and Families                                           FY 2019-2020

Highlights (Cont’d)

                                Family and Community Partnerships
                                     and Division on Women

The Governor’s FY 2020 Budget recommends $98.9 million in total funding for Family and
Community Partnerships (FCP) programs ($60.4 million State, $34.5 million federal, and $3.9
million other funds). There are no changes in the recommended FY 2020 appropriations for
individual FCP programs.

FCP programs focus on early childhood services, school-linked services, and family support
services intended to prevent child abuse and neglect and strengthen families and communities.
FCP also provides services to victims of domestic violence, a responsibility shared with the
closely linked Division on Women, which administers sexual violence prevention programs,
aid to women’s shelters, programs for displaced homemakers, and other services.

                                   Other Program Classifications

The Governor’s FY 2020 Budget makes no significant changes to the amounts appropriated to
the remaining DCF program classifications: Education Services ($59.7 million from all
sources), Child Welfare Training Academy Services and Operations ($8.3 million from all
sources), Safety and Security Services ($7.5 million from all sources), and Administration and
Support Services ($64.2 million from all sources).

                                              4
Department of Children and Families                                                                       FY 2019-2020

Fiscal and Personnel Summary
AGENCY FUNDING BY SOURCE OF FUNDS ($000)

                                                                   Adj.
                                       Expended                Approp.                Recom.               Percentage Change
                                        FY 2018                FY 2019                FY 2020            2018-20            2019-20

 General Fund

 Direct State Services                  $294,467              $292,939               $292,939              (0.5%)                  0.0%

 Grants-In-Aid                           881,536               881,567                860,001              (2.4%)                 (2.4%)

 State Aid                                       0                        0                   0                   ----               ----

 Capital Construction                            0                        0                   0                   ----               ----

 Debt Service                                    0                        0                   0                   ----               ----

             Sub-Total                $1,176,003            $1,174,506             $1,152,940              (2.0%)                 (1.8%)

 Property Tax Relief Fund

 Direct State Services                          $0                    $0                     $0                   ----               ----

 Grants-In-Aid                                   0                        0                   0                   ----               ----

 State Aid                                       0                        0                   0                   ----               ----

             Sub-Total                          $0                    $0                     $0                   ----               ----

 Casino Revenue Fund                            $0                    $0                     $0                   ----               ----

 Casino Control Fund                            $0                    $0                     $0                   ----               ----

           State Total                $1,176,003            $1,174,506             $1,152,940              (2.0%)                 (1.8%)

 Federal Funds                          $612,545              $613,445               $626,630                   2.3%               2.1%

 Other Funds                             $54,884               $54,876                $54,876              (0.0%)                  0.0%

           Grand Total                $1,843,432            $1,842,827             $1,834,446              (0.5%)                 (0.5%)

                               PERSONNEL SUMMARY - POSITIONS BY FUNDING SOURCE

                                           Actual             Revised             Funded           Percentage Change
                                          FY 2018             FY 2019            FY 2020          2018-20       2019-20

 State                                       4,827                4,832            4,845              0.4%               0.3%

 Federal                                     1,567                1,539            1,539            (1.8%)               0.0%

 All Other                                     296                 282                282           (4.7%)               0.0%

             Total Positions                 6,690                6,653            6,666            (0.4%)               0.2%
FY 2018 (as of December) and revised FY 2019 (as of January) personnel data reflect actual payroll counts. FY 2020 data reflect
the number of positions funded.

                                          AFFIRMATIVE ACTION DATA

 Total Minority Percentage                  47.7%               46.4%                N/A                 ----              ----

                                                              5
Department of Children and Families                                             FY 2019-2020

Significant Changes/New Programs ($000)

                          Adj. Approp.      Recomm.           Dollar        Percent    Budget
Budget Item                    FY 2019       FY 2020         Change         Change       Page

(Note: The Governor’s FY 2020 Budget no longer displays the Department of Children and
Families budget lines in a gross budget format and instead uses a standard budget presentation,
disaggregating appropriations of State, federal, and all other funds.)

                    Division of Child Protection and Permanency (CP&P)

 General Fund,
 Grants-in-Aid:
 Out-of-Home
 Placements                   $13,645       $12,026        ($1,619)        (11.9%)      D-38

Evaluation Data on page D-36 indicate that total spending for out-of-home placements of
children in CP&P custody is expected to increase by $250,000 from $16.3 million in FY 2019
to $16.5 million in FY 2020. The increase reflects anticipated growth of about $1,400 in the
average annual cost per client (from $91,562 in FY 2019 to $92,970 in FY 2020). The
department expects the average daily population to remain unchanged at 178 children. The
CP&P program does not include out-of-home placements of children with behavioral,
intellectual or developmental disabilities, who are the responsibility of another DCF division,
the Children’s System of Care.

The State funds appropriation in the above budget line pays for most of the program
expenditures, with federal and dedicated funds accounting for the remainder. Upon inquiry,
the Office of Management and Budget indicated that the CP&P would not need $1.6 million of
the adjusted FY 2019 appropriation for program expenditures and that the amount would be
returned to the General Fund at the end of the fiscal year. Consequently, the recommended
reduction in the FY 2020 State appropriation for CP&P out-of-home placements does not reflect
an anticipated decrease in program expenditures, but an alignment of the recommended FY
2020 appropriation with FY 2019 spending trends.

 General Fund,
 Grants-in-Aid:
 Family Support
 Services                     $84,945       $86,991          $2,046           2.4%      D-38

Evaluation Data on page D-35 indicate that total spending for CP&P Family Support Services is
expected to reach $101.2 million in FY 2020, about $2.0 million more than the FY 2019
expenditure projection of $99.1 million. The growth is attributable to an anticipated increase
in service utilization, as 2,214 more children are projected to receive CP&P services in FY
2020 than in the current year. In all, the CP&P forecasts serving 182,324 children in FY 2020.

The State funds appropriation in the above budget line pays for most of the program
expenditures, with federal funds accounting for the remainder. Upon inquiry, the Office of
Management and Budget indicated that the CP&P would not need $526,000 of the adjusted FY
2019 appropriation for program expenditures and that the amount would be returned to the
                                             6
Department of Children and Families                                               FY 2019-2020

Significant Changes/New Programs ($000) (Cont’d)
                           Adj. Approp.      Recomm.            Dollar        Percent     Budget
Budget Item                     FY 2019       FY 2020          Change         Change        Page

General Fund at the end of the fiscal year. Therefore, the FY 2020 State appropriation for
CP&P Family Support Services exceeds projected FY 2019 spending from the account by $2.6
million, rather than $2.0 million.

The CP&P Family Support Services program provides assistance to families and children in
their own homes as well as to foster and adoptive families and children in out-of-home
placement. The services are intended to reduce the need for more intensive interventions and
to promote independence. Support includes transportation assistance, homemaker services,
psychological and therapeutic services, day treatment, companionship, and legal and health-
related services. The CP&P program does not include family support services for children with
behavioral, intellectual or developmental disabilities and their families. The latter client
population is served by another DCF division, the Children’s System of Care.

 General Fund,
 Grants-in-Aid:
 Foster Care                   $71,168       $64,305         ($6,863)         (9.6%)      D-39

Evaluation Data on page D-36 indicate that total spending for the CP&P Foster Care program is
forecast to decline by $5.1 million from $78.1 million in FY 2019 to $73.0 million in FY 2020.
The decrease represents the continuation of a long-term initiative by the Department of
Children and Families that places a greater emphasis on finding sources of care for CP&P
children outside of the foster care system. Consistent with that general policy, the CP&P
projects that the average daily population of children in the foster care system will decrease by
444 children from 6,695 children in FY 2019 to 6,251 children in FY 2020. For reference, the
number was 7,737 children in FY 2017.

The State funds appropriation in the above budget line pays for most of the program
expenditures, with federal and dedicated funds accounting for the remainder. Upon inquiry,
the Office of Management and Budget indicated that the CP&P would not need $1.8 million of
the adjusted FY 2019 appropriation for program expenditures and that the amount would be
returned to the General Fund at the end of the fiscal year. Consequently, the recommended FY
2020 State funds appropriation for the State’s foster care system falls $5.0 million, rather than
$6.9 million, below projected FY 2019 spending from the account.

 Federal Funds:
 Child Protection and
 Permanency                   $328,254      $333,262          $5,008            1.5%      D-40

This budget line aggregates several sources of federal funding the CP&P uses to support its
operations. Two federal funds appropriations account for the recommended $5.0 million
growth in the budget line: $3.2 million from Title IV-E Foster Care and $1.8 million from Title

                                               7
Department of Children and Families                                                  FY 2019-2020

Significant Changes/New Programs ($000) (Cont’d)
                            Adj. Approp.       Recomm.            Dollar         Percent    Budget
Budget Item                      FY 2019        FY 2020          Change          Change       Page

IV-E Adoption Assistance. Title IV-E is a title in the federal Social Security Act that provides
foster care and adoption assistance.

The Administration recommends appropriating $85.7 million in federal Title IV-E Foster Care
funds to the CP&P in FY 2020, some $3.2 million more than in FY 2019. Title IV-E Foster Care
funds are awarded to the states by formula and may be used for: monthly maintenance
payments for the daily care and supervision of eligible children; program administration costs;
training of staff and foster care providers; recruitment of foster parents; and costs related to the
design, implementation, and operation of a statewide data collection system.

The Administration proposes appropriating $75.7 million in federal Title IV-E Adoption
Assistance funds to the CP&P in FY 2020, some $1.8 million more than in FY 2019. The
federal Adoption Assistance Program provides funds to states to facilitate the timely placement
of children, whose special needs or circumstances would otherwise make placement difficult,
with adoptive families. The Adoption Assistance Program provides federal matching funds of
50 to 83 percent, depending on a state's per capita income. Funds may be used for: one-time
payments to assist with the costs of adopting a child; monthly subsidies to adoptive families to
assist with the care of an eligible child; program administration costs; training staff and
adoptive parents; adoptive parent recruitment; and other related expenses.

                               Children’s System of Care (CSOC)

 General Fund,
 Grants-in-Aid:
 Out-of-Home
 Treatment Services           $167,582       $139,821        ($27,761)         (16.6%)       D-39

Upon inquiry, the Office of Management and Budget explained that the decrease in the State
funds appropriation for CSOC Out-of-Home Treatment Services had two components. First, a
reduction of $3.0 million reflects a shift of expenditures to additional federal Medicaid
matching funds projected to accrue as the result of the recent accreditation of the CSOC’s
residential treatment providers as psychiatric residential treatment facilities by the federal
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Second, the remaining $24.8 million reduction in the recommended FY 2020 State funds
appropriation is mainly attributable to the continuation of a long-term initiative by the
Department of Children and Families to shift, to the extent feasible, the treatment provided to
CSOC children from settings outside of the home to the children’s home environment.

In addition, the Office of Management and Budget indicated that the CSOC would not need
$17.4 million of the adjusted FY 2019 appropriation for program expenditures and that the
amount would be returned to the General Fund at the end of the fiscal year. Therefore, the

                                                 8
Department of Children and Families                                                FY 2019-2020

Significant Changes/New Programs ($000) (Cont’d)
                            Adj. Approp.      Recomm.            Dollar        Percent     Budget
Budget Item                      FY 2019       FY 2020          Change         Change        Page

recommended FY 2020 State funds appropriation for CSOC Out-of-Home Treatment Services is
only $10.4 million less than projected FY 2019 spending from the account.

The CSOC Out-of-Home Treatment Services program funds a range of residential treatment
services for children with behavioral health needs, developmental disabilities, and substance
use disorders. Residential treatment is generally provided to youth with the highest levels of
need who cannot be maintained at home, and includes treatment homes, group homes,
psychiatric community homes, residential treatment centers, intensive residential treatment,
and other types of residential care. In addition to the recommended appropriation in the
budget line above, the CSOC Out-of-Home Treatment Services program is to be supported in
FY 2020 by a recommended $81.7 million federal funds appropriation and a $7.2 million
transfer of funding from the Department of Human Services for substance use disorder
treatment programs.

 General Fund,
 Grants-in-Aid:
 Family Support
 Services                      $22,038        $26,969          $4,931          22.4%       D-39

The increase in the recommended FY 2020 State funds appropriation for CSOC Family Support
Services is mainly attributable to the continuation of a long-term initiative by the Department of
Children and Families to place a greater emphasis on providing services to CSOC children in
the children’s home environment rather than in out-of-home treatment settings.

CSOC Family Support Services funds family support organizations, which are family-run,
county-based organizations that provide direct peer support, education, advocacy, and other
services to family members of children with emotional and behavioral challenges, substance
use disorders, and intellectual and behavioral disabilities.

 General Fund,
 Grants-in-Aid:
 Mobile Response               $22,634        $29,537          $6,903          30.5%       D-39

This State funds appropriation pays for the majority of the expenditures of the CSOC Mobile
Response and Stabilization Services program. Evaluation Data on page D-36 indicate that
program expenditures, including those covered by recommended federal funds appropriations,
are estimated to total $49.7 million in FY 2020, about $7.3 million more than the FY 2019 cost
projection of $42.4 million. The growth is the combined effect of anticipated increases in
service utilization ($2.1 million) and the cost per dispatch ($5.2 million). First, the number of
dispatches is forecast to increase by 1,555 from 31,100 dispatches in FY 2019 to 32,655
dispatches in FY 2020. Second, the average cost per dispatch is forecast to rise by $159 from
$1,363 in FY 2019 to $1,522 in FY 2020.
                                                9
Department of Children and Families                                               FY 2019-2020

Significant Changes/New Programs ($000) (Cont’d)
                           Adj. Approp.      Recomm.            Dollar        Percent     Budget
Budget Item                     FY 2019       FY 2020          Change         Change        Page

The CSOC contracts with community agencies to provide, within one hour of notification, face-
to-face mobile response and stabilization services to children and youth who are experiencing
emotional or behavioral crises. The program operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Without intervention, children and youth may be at risk of psychiatric hospitalization, being
legally detained, loss of living arrangement, etc.

 Federal Funds:
 Children’s System of
 Care                         $226,326      $234,392          $8,066           3.6%       D-40

This budget line aggregates several sources of federal funding the CSOC uses to support its
operations. The recommended growth in FY 2020 CSOC federal funds appropriations
represents increased federal Medicaid matching funds allocated to three programs: $3.1
million for Out-of-Home Treatment Services attributable predominantly to the accreditation of
CSOC’s residential treatment providers as psychiatric residential treatment facilities by the
federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services; $3.0 million for Mobile Response as a
result of projected increased service utilization and higher costs per dispatch; and $1.9 million
for Intensive In-Home Behavioral Assistance as a result of projected higher service utilization.

Evaluation Data on page D-36 indicate that the number of dispatches under the Mobile
Response and Stabilization Services program is forecast to increase by 1,555 from 31,100
dispatches in FY 2019 to 32,655 dispatches in FY 2020. In addition, the average cost per
dispatch is projected to rise by $159 from $1,363 in FY 2019 to $1,522 in FY 2020.

Evaluation Data on page D-36 also show that the total number of service hours under the In-
Home Behavioral Assistance program is estimated to grow by over 104,000 hours to 1.7
million service hours in FY 2020. The effect of the higher service utilization is somewhat
moderated by a projected $2 decrease in the average cost per service hour to $75 in FY 2020.

                                               10
Department of Children and Families                                                     FY 2019-2020

Significant Language Changes
                        United Way of Central Jersey Participation in
                      Medicaid Home Visitation Demonstration Program

 Deletion                                                                     2019 Handbook: p. B-19
                                                                              2020 Budget:   p. N/A
 The amount hereinabove appropriated for Administration and Support Services is
 conditioned upon the following: the commissioner shall take all necessary steps to assure
 continued participation by the United Way of Central Jersey, Middlesex County in the
 Medicaid Home Visitation Demonstration Project established pursuant to P.L.2017, c.50
 (C.30:4D-17.39 et seq.).

                                            Explanation

     This language provision places a condition on the FY 2019 appropriation for the
     Administration and Support Services program classification in the Division of
     Family and Community Partnerships ($813,000). The appropriation is only
     authorized if the department assures the continued participation by the United
     Way of Central Jersey, Middlesex County in the Medicaid Home Visitation
     Demonstration Project established pursuant to P.L.2017, c.50. The language was
     added to the FY 2019 Appropriations Act pursuant to a Legislative budget
     resolution. The webpage of the Division of Family and Community Partnerships
     lists the Nurse Family Partnership of the United Way of Central Jersey as a home
     visitation early childhood services provider in Middlesex County, but it is not clear
     whether the organization participates in the Medicaid Home Visitation
     Demonstration Project.

     The three-year demonstration project is intended to provide ongoing health and
     parenting information, parent and family support, and links to essential health and
     social services during pregnancy, infancy, and early childhood. The project is to
     be implemented in stages, prioritizing the expansion of services in counties with
     the highest number of births to eligible families in which current home visitation
     programs provide services to less than 10 percent of the eligible population.

     Home visitation programs encourage positive behaviors and healthful nutrition to
     prevent poor pregnancy outcomes; identify health or social concerns that may
     adversely affect a child’s home environment; and assist parents in developing skills
     to promote early learning, language development, and early literacy.

EXPLANATION:   FY 2019 language not recommended for FY 2020 denoted by strikethrough.
               Recommended FY 2020 language that did not appear in FY 2019 denoted by underlining.

                                                  11
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   attends upon the Appropriations Committees during review of the Governor’s Budget
 recommendations; reports on such matters as the committees or Legislature may direct;
   administers the fiscal note process and has statutory responsibilities for the review of
                appropriations transfers and other State fiscal transactions.

  The Office of Legislative Services Central Staff provides a variety of legal, fiscal, research
    and administrative services to individual legislators, legislative officers, legislative
 committees and commissions, and partisan staff. The central staff is organized under the
  Central Management Unit into ten subject area sections. Each section, under a section
chief, includes legal, fiscal, and research staff for the standing reference committees of the
     Legislature and, upon request, to special commissions created by the Legislature.
  The central staff assists the Legislative Budget and Finance Officer in providing services
            to the Appropriations Committees during the budget review process.

             Individuals wishing information and committee schedules on the
                        FY 2020 budget are encouraged to contact:

                         Legislative Budget and Finance Office
                                    State House Annex
                                  Room 140, PO Box 068
                                    Trenton, NJ 08625
                          (609) 847-3105 · Fax (609) 777-2442
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