March 9, 2006 |
2006-R-0203 | |
NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVER SUPPORT PROGRAM | ||
| ||
By: Helga Niesz, Principal Analyst | ||
You asked for (1) information on the National Family Caregiver Support Program and (2) how much federal funding Connecticut receives for it. You also asked how much each area agency on aging in the state receives and what they spend it on.
SUMMARY
The National Family Caregiver Support Act, Title IIIe of the federal Older Americans Act (OAA), gives grants to states to provide information and referral, training, counseling, respite care, and other supportive services to (1) people caring at home for chronically ill, frail, elderly relatives or relatives with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities and (2) grandparents and other relatives caring for their grandchildren at home. The states must provide the services through their existing regional area agencies on aging (AAAs).
The state Department of Social Services' (DSS) Aging Services Division allocates the money it receives from the federal government to the five AAAs in the state through the OAA's distribution formulas. The AAAs or their contractors provide the services.
The National Family Caregiver Support Program is available to people age 60 or older with no limits on income or assets. The program asks beneficiaries to donate 20% of the cost of the services and annually limits them to $3,500 in respite care services per family.
Connecticut received $2.025 million in federal funding for FFY 05 and expects to receive $2.024 million for FFY 06. Of the total each year, DSS allocates slightly over $101,000 for its administrative costs and allocates the rest to the five AAAs. AAA allocations range from 18.7% to 23.9%. The AAAs spend their allotments on five categories of services: administration (restricted to 10%); grandparents caring for grandchildren services; supplemental services; and other services (which include the bulk of the outreach, counseling, training, and respite services).
NATIONAL FAMILY CAREGIVERS SUPPORT ACT
The National Family Caregiver Support Act, passed by Congress in 2000 as an amendment (Title IIIe) to the OAA, gives grants to states to provide information and referral, training, counseling, respite care, and other supportive services to (1) people caring at home for chronically ill, frail, elderly relatives or relatives with mental retardation or other developmental disabilities and (2) grandparents and other relatives caring for children at home (42 U.S. Code § 303s et.seq.) The states must provide the services through their existing AAAs.
Specifically, the AAAs must provide:
1. information about available services;
2. help in accessing the services;
3. training, counseling, and support groups to help caregivers make decisions and solve problems concerning their caregiving roles;
4. temporary relief from caregiver responsibilities through respite care services ( such as adult day care, home health care, and homemaker services); and
5. limited supplemental services not available through other programs (such as durable medical equipment not covered by insurance, home modifications, transportation, or one-time emergency needs).
Under the program, states must give priority to services to older people with the greatest social and economic need (with particular attention to low-income older people) and to older people who care for relatives with mental retardation or other related developmental disabilities. Each AAA must coordinate its activities with community agencies and voluntary organizations providing similar services.
The DSS Aging Services Division allocates the money to the five AAAs through the existing OAA spending process and distribution formulas based on each regional AAA's proportionate share of the population of people age 70 or older. AAAs or their contractors provide the services.
The program provides services to adult caregivers caring for a family member age 60 and older and grandparents or other relative caregivers who are age 60 or older caring for a child 18 or younger. The program has no income and asset limits, but, as noted above, agencies must give priority to services for older people with the greatest social and economic need. The program requests a 20% donation from clients for the cost of the respite services and limits the value of respite services to $3,500 annually per family. It limits the value of supplemental services to $750 annually per family.
Statewide, in FY 05 the program provided individual assistance to 5,727 individuals; 6,150 received counseling or participated in support groups or training; 800 received respite services; and 600 received supplemental services. It also provided information through presentations, a newsletter, and broadcast media.
FUNDING ALLOCATIONS
Total federal funding for Connecticut was $2.025 million for FFY 05 and is estimated to be $2.024 million for FFY 06. DSS annually uses slightly over $101,000 for administration at the state level. It allocates the rest to the five AAAs. AAA allocations for both years range from 18.7% for the Western AAA to a high of 23.9% for the North Central AAA.
There is no state funding for this program. All OAA III programs require a 25% state or local match, but in the case of the Natioanl Family Caregiver Support program the match is provided locally by the AAAs.
The AAAs spend their allotments on five categories of services: administration (restricted to 10%), the grandparents caring for grandchildren services, supplemental services, and other services (which includes the bulk of the outreach, counseling, training, and respite services).
Tables 1 and 2 below show the total FFY 05 and FFY 06 federal funding for the state, allocations to each of the AAAs, and the breakdown for each category of services. The state's five AAAs shown in the tables are: Southwestern (SWCAA in the tables), South Central (SCCAA), North Central, Eastern (ECAAA, recently renamed Senior Resources), and Western (WCAAA).
The FFY 05 chart is a final allocation chart and the FFY 06 chart is based on Connecticut's current award (the state may receive additional 06 funding later in the federal fiscal year.
Table 1: Title III E Allocation for FY 05
Area |
Allocation |
Admin |
Grnd Pa |
Sup. Serv. |
Other |
Title III E |
TOTAL |
Agency |
% |
10% |
10% |
20% |
Serv. |
Program |
III E |
SWCAAA |
19.50% |
$37,530.00 |
$33,776.00 |
$60,798.00 |
$243,189.00 |
$337,763.00 |
$375,293.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SCCAAA |
19.10% |
$36,760.00 |
$33,083.00 |
$59,550.00 |
$238,202.00 |
$330,835.00 |
$367,595.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ECAAA |
18.80% |
$36,182.00 |
$32,564.00 |
$58,615.00 |
$234,462.00 |
$325,641.00 |
$361,823.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NCAAA |
23.90% |
$45,997.00 |
$41,398.00 |
$74,516.00 |
$298,064.00 |
$413,978.00 |
$459,975.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WCAAA |
18.70% |
$35,989.00 |
$32,391.00 |
$58,303.00 |
$233,213.00 |
$323,907.00 |
$359,896.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
TOTAL AAAs |
$192,458.00 |
$173,212.00 |
$311,782.00 |
$1,247,130.00 |
$1,732,124.00 |
$1,924,582.00 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DSS Admin from T III E |
$101,294.00 |
|
|
|
|
$101,294.00 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
TOTAL III E |
|
$293,752.00 |
$173,212.00 |
$311,782.00 |
$1,247,130.00 |
$1,732,124.00 |
$2,025,876.00 |
Source: Department of Social Services
Table 2: Title III E Allocation for FY 06
Area |
Allocation |
Admin |
Grnd Pa |
Sup. Serv. |
Other |
Title III E |
TOTAL |
Agency |
% |
10% |
10% |
20% |
Serv. |
Program |
III E |
SWCAAA |
19.50% |
$37,498.00 |
$33,748.00 |
$60,747.00 |
$242,987.00 |
$337,482.00 |
$374,980.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SCCAAA |
19.10% |
$36,729.00 |
$33,056.00 |
$59,501.00 |
$238,003.00 |
$330,560.00 |
$367,289.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
ECAAA |
18.80% |
$36,152.00 |
$32,537.00 |
$58,566.00 |
$234,265.00 |
$325,368.00 |
$361,520.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NCAAA |
23.90% |
$45,959.00 |
$41,363.00 |
$74,453.00 |
$297,816.00 |
$413,632.00 |
$459,591.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
WCAAA |
18.70% |
$35,960.00 |
$32,364.00 |
$58,255.00 |
$233,018.00 |
$323,637.00 |
$359,597.00 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
TOTAL AAAs |
$192,298.00 |
$173,068.00 |
$311,522.00 |
$1,246,089.00 |
$1,730,679.00 |
$1,922,977.00 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
DSS Admin from T III E |
$101,209.00 |
|
|
|
|
$101,209.00 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
TOTAL III E |
|
$293,507.00 |
$173,068.00 |
$311,522.00 |
$1,246,089.00 |
$1,730,679.00 |
$2,024,186.00 |
Source: Department of Social Services
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