Overview

For the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2007, Governor Blagojevich proposes a $5.650 billion (FY07 - $5.425 billion) all funds ordinary and contingent expenses budget for the Illinois Department of Human Services. The General Revenue Funds portion of this request totals $4.176 billion (FY07 estimated spending - $3.985 billion).

As requested by Governor Blagojevich:

The FY08 DHS request represents a $190.7 million GRF increase over FY07 estimated expenditures.

  • The FY08 budget includes $3 million for new emergency CILAs and $10.0 million for CILA capacities to support the 200 State-Operated Developmental Center clients moved to the community in FY07. The budget also includes $4.4 million to support a new initiative to provide Crisis Management Services and $1.5 million to fund two DD Performance Review and Development Teams. These teams will assure consistent practices, compliance with ICFMR standards, and improve the overall quality among the state-operated developmental centers.
  • Community Health and Prevention programs will receive an additional $7.0 million to support the Early Intervention (EI) program and $6.3 million for a 3% COLA for the EI, Domestic Violence, Family Case Management, Family Planning, Sexual Assault Prevention, and School-Based Health Centers programs. The FY08 GRF budget also includes $3.0 million that will allow DHS to partner with the Department of Justice to establish a program to help at-risk youth avoid the juvenile justice system.
  • The Mental Health budget includes $3.9 million to expand the MI Supportive Housing program, $7.0 million for Individual Care Grant (ICG) program growth, $5.4 million for an Administrative Service Organization (ASO) to help move the community-based grant system to fee-for-service, $6.6 million to expand forensic capacity at Chester & McFarland Mental Health Centers, $1.7 million to procure additional professional staff to reduce the length of stay for the forensic population at Mental Health facilities, and $2.7 million to support a Quality Review and Training Team to enhance services provided to clients in Mental Health facilities and help comply with state and federal regulations.
  • Funding for the Home Services program includes $42.3 million to support program growth and a $1 an hour wage increase for personal assistants. The budget also includes $2.3 million for formula funding and a 3% COLA for CILs. In cooperation with the Illinois State Board of Education, DHS will be procuring new replacement textbooks for students at the Illinois School for Visually Impaired and the Illinois School for the Deaf.
  • The FY08 budget also includes $13.3 million to support increased accountability efforts under the new federal TANF Reauthorization. The Child Care funding request includes $33.1 million to fund rate increases for child care home and center providers, the tiered reimbursement programs and payment to SEIU to finance an insurance program per the labor agreement.
  • Upon completion of the federal discretionary grant, the state has committed to continuing the Access To Recovery (ATR) program by including $750,000 in the proposed budget.