Social Services

Our mission is to provide quality assistance and comprehensive services to citizens in need that strengthen the family structure while promoting self-reliance, responsibility for family and protection of children and adults from abuse, neglect, and exploitation through community-based services.

Family Services

The Family Services Division is comprised of four teams: Child Protective Services (CPS), Prevention Services, Foster Care, and Adult Services. These four teams provide the following services to the community:

• Adult and Child Protective Services
• Family Preservation/Prevention Services
• Child Custody Investigations
• Parenting Education/Family Violence Prevention/Fatherhood Initiatives
• Foster Care/Independent Living
• Adoptions/Adoption Services
• Companion Aide Services/Screening for Long Term Care Medicaid
• Transportation
• Holiday Assistance

Child Protective Services referrals have rebounded, and the agency is currently receiving as many referrals as were received before to the pandemic.

Benefit Programs

The Benefit Programs Division is comprised of four teams that provide the following programs to income-eligible adults and families with children:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
• Medicaid
• Energy Assistance
• Auxiliary Grants
• Refugee Resettlement
• Title IV-E Foster Care
• Employment Services and Day Care for Children

The Benefit Programs Division has continued to experience significant caseload increases. The caseload has increased by 31% over the last two years, from 14,211 cases in October 2019 to 18,582 cases in October 2021.

Personnel

• 4.5% Pay Scale Adjustment
• 2.0% Salary Increase
• 2.13% increase in Virginia Retirement System Rate
• .03% decrease in the Virginia Retiree Health Insurance Credit Rate

• Federally mandated programs

Build trust within the community by ensuring a positive customer experience for all citizens.

Key objectives:

• Complete a minimum of 97% of Benefit Programs applications within State/Federal Processing Standards. (Service levels 1 and 2)
• Maintain a training structure for new and experienced Benefit Programs Specialists to promote timeliness and accuracy in job performance. (Service levels 1 and 2)
• Establish a new Family Services unit to implement the federally mandated Family First Prevention Act. (Service levels 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7)
• Exceed the National Standard of 94.6% for children without a Recurrence of Maltreatment. (Service levels 3 and 4)
• Sustain completion of 95% of CPS investigations/family assessments within State-mandated guidelines. (Service level 3)
• Ensure a minimum of 84% of foster children are placed in Family-Based Placements. (Service levels 5, 6, and 7)
• Decrease the time children remain in Foster Care to no longer than 18 months. (Service levels 5 and 7)
• Develop new Community Work Sites for the Virginia Initiative for Education and Work and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Education and Training programs.
• Recruit and train volunteers to assist agency staff.