California Department of Social Services
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | California |
| Annual budget | US$ 19.7 billion (2011) |
| Agency executive | Will Lightbourne, Director |
| Parent agency | California Health and Human Services Agency |
| Website |
www |
The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is a California state agency for many of the programs defined as part of the social safety net in the United States, and is within the auspices of the California Health and Human Services Agency. Federal and State funds for adoptions, foster care, aid to the disabled, family crisis counseling, subsistence payments to poor families with children, child welfare services and many other efforts are distributed through this department. The department is headed by the Director, Will Lightbourne.
Its mission is "to serve, aid and protect the needy and vulnerable children and adults in ways that strengthen and preserve families, encourage personal responsibility, and foster independence."
Responsibilities
CDSS has more than 4,000 employees in 54 offices throughout the state and is responsible for:
- CalWORKs, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare-to-work program
- CalFresh is the California implementation of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp program, which provides financial assistance for purchasing food for those in Poverty in California.
- Ensuring efficient, accurate and equitable delivery of payments and benefits
- Providing services that foster self-sufficiency and dignity
- Providing social services to the elderly, blind, disabled and other children and adults
- Licensing and regulating foster homes, group homes, residential care facilities, day care facilities, child care facilities and preschools
- Evaluating eligibility of applicants for disability-related benefits for certain federal and state programs, including Supplemental Security Income, Social Security Disability and Medi-Cal.
The Director receives direct pay of more than 340,000K (usd) per year plus executive benefits package; making his one of the top paid and benefited State officials in California. In order to avoid State wage law caps, the Governor, Jerry Brown, arranged for the compensation package to be paid through Santa Clara County and not directly from the State. The CA Women and Children Commission, set up to advocate the needs of California Women/Children, total budget is 72,000 (usd) less than the Director of Social Services(not including benefits). A State compensated social services worker receives 48,000 - 75,000 usd per year.
Organization
The Department of Social Services is divided into 10 divisions. There are programs, branches and agencies which fall under the divisions:
- Administration
- Legal
- Children and Family Services
- Community Care Licensing
- Disability Determination Service
- Adult Programs
- Welfare to Work
- Human Rights and Community Services
- State Hearings
- Information Systems