Title XX Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) Donated Funds Initiative
Program Manual FY26
Introduction
- About Title XX SSBG
- SSBG Funds Distribution
- Timeline of Funding
- What are the reporting requirements?
- TITLE XX/SSBG Federal Reporting Requirements - NEW INFORMATION RE: POST EXPENDITURE REPORTS
- Program Monitoring [Division/Program]
- Title XX DFI - Reporting Frequency
- Definitions
Introduction
The United States Congress created the Title XX Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) in 1981 as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. Lawmakers believed that by creating the Title XX Social Services Block Grant, states would be able to tailor social service programming to their populations' needs.
Federal Law establishes five broad goals for the SSBG. Social services funded by States/Territories must be linked to one or more of these statutory goals:
- Achieving or maintaining economic self-support to prevent, reduce or eliminate dependency;
- Achieving or maintaining self-sufficiency, including reduction or prevention of dependency;
- Preventing or remedying neglect, abuse or exploitation of children and adults unable to protect their own interests or preserving, rehabilitating or reuniting families;
- Preventing or reducing inappropriate institutional care by providing for community-based care, home-based care or other forms of less intensive care; and
- Securing referral or admission for institutional care when other forms of care are not appropriate or providing services to individuals in institutions.
The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) is the lead agency for the Title XX Social Services Block Grant Program in Illinois. The IDHS has administrative responsibility to ensure that all federal requirements are met. Mandates include planning, reporting, audit, public participation, and identification of activities that may not be supported with Block Grant funds. A network of state agencies and public and private social service providers utilize the Title XX Social Services Block Grant. The five state agencies that make up the Title XX Social Services Block Grant services linkage include the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Aging, and the Department of Public Health.
Within IDHS, the Bureau of Basic Supports, Office of Adult Services and Basic Supports (Bureau) is responsible for the administration of the Title XX Social Services Block Grant.
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About Title XX SSBG
Congress created the Title XX Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) in 1981 as part of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. Many lawmakers believed that by creating the block grant, states could manage their own programs and respond more efficiently to local needs. Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) funds are to enable each State to furnish social services best suited to meet the needs of the individuals residing within the State.
Funds are allocated to the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the Territories of Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. Each fiscal year, States receive an allocation of SSBG funds based on population. Illinois's allocation is approximately 4% of the total 1.7 billion in SSBG funds awarded to States.
National Goals
Each State has the flexibility to determine what services will be provided, who is eligible to receive services, and how funds are distributed among various services within the State. Target population is determined by each State according to these needs and must be directed at one or more of five broad statutory goals:
- Achieving or maintaining economic self-support to prevent, reduce, or eliminate dependency.
- Achieving or maintaining self-sufficiency, including reduction or prevention of dependency.
- Preventing or remedying neglect, abuse, or exploitation of children and adults unable to protect their interests or preserving, rehabilitating, or reuniting families.
- Preventing or reducing inappropriate institutional care by providing for community-based care, home-based care, or other forms of less intensive care; and
- Securing referral or admission for institutional care when other forms of care are not appropriate or providing services to individuals in institutions. services to individuals in institutions.
The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) is the recipient of Title XX Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) Program. The IDHS has administrative responsibility to ensure that all federal requirements are met. A network of state agencies and public and private social service providers utilize the Title XX Social Services Block Grant. The five state agencies that comprise the Title XX Social Services Block Grant network include the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Corrections, the Department of Human Services, the Department of Aging, and the Department of Public Health. Funds are distributed directly to the service providers of these agencies.
The Division of Family and Community Services at IDHS oversees the administration of the SSBG funds. Within IDHS, the Division of Mental Health and Recovery, Division of Rehabilitation Services, and Division of Early Childhood receive a portion of funds to administer programs.
SSBG Funds Distribution
The funds are distributed to a variety of programs and services through three accounts within IDHS:
- 408 Special Purpose Trust Fund
- 762 Local Initiative Fund
- 001 General Revenue Fund
Special Purpose Trust Fund & Local Initiative Fund
The Department uses the Special Purpose Trust Fund as governed by the appropriations authority established by the Illinois General Assembly (305 ILCS 5/12 5) and the Local Initiative Fund, also known as the Donated Funds Initiative, which is governed by the appropriations authority established by the Illinois General Assembly (Illinois Public Aid Code [305 ILCS 5/12-10.1]) to purchase social services. This authority is derived from appropriations from the Local Initiative Fund, a designated account into which the Department receives federal funds and from which it reimburses up to 75% of the costs of services provided under the Donated Funds Initiative (DFI).
The Division of Family and Community Services (DFCS), Bureau of Basic Supports Title XX, contracts with community-based providers for a variety of services. Public or private not-for-profit agencies providing services funded through the Local Initiative Fund are required (Illinois Administrative Code, Title 89, Part 130) to provide a local cash match and in-kind contributions for 25% of the program's cost. No more than 15% of the program's total cost may be represented by in-kind contributions, and a cash match of at least 10% is required. The United Way, mental health boards, and community donations are examples of local cash matches. The other 75% is available from federal funds provided through the Title XX Social Services Block Grant.
In addition to the Department sponsored Donated Funds Initiative programs, other Donated Funds Initiative programs are sponsored by the Departments on Aging, Corrections, and Children and Family Services. The grantee has a program contract with the aforementioned agencies and the DFI program provides supplemental funds to those providers.
Note: This program is subject to an exception from the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process.
Availability of Title XX Social Services Block Grant, Donated Funds Initiative funding is contingent upon annual federal award and appropriation authority approved by the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor.
GENERAL REVENUE FUNDS
SSBG funds that are not utilized by the Local Initiative and Special Purpose Trust Funds are utilized to reimburse eligible General Revenue Fund expenditures that do not qualify for claiming to other assistance programs. Only allowable services and costs are claimed under the SSBG federal program. Services that are reimbursed with General Revenue Funds and claimed to the Social Services Block Grant include the following programs:
- Home Services
- Domestic Violence Intervention
- Other DCFS Services as needed
Timeline of Funding
While this program is federally funded, it runs on a state fiscal year timeline, July 1-June 30.
What are the reporting requirements?
NEW INFORMATION RE: POST EXPENDITURE REPORTS
SSBG funding recipients must provide data on total expenditures of the program and collect and submit data on the SSBG Expenditure and Client Identifier to the Division of Family and Community Services (FCS) on a quarterly basis.
FCS may request additional information or clarifications from program offices, divisions, or departments as needed. Data must be submitted to DHS.FCS.ReportsTitleXX@illinois.gov cc: Jessica.ramos@illinois.gov by the following deadlines:
| Fiscal Quarter |
Reporting Period |
Quarter End Date |
Report Due Date |
| Q1 |
July 1 - September 30 |
September 30 |
October 30 |
| Q2 |
October 1 - December 31 |
December 31 |
January 30 |
| Q3 |
January 1 - March 31 |
March 31 |
April 30 |
| Q4 |
April 1 - June 30 |
June 30 |
July 30 |
Reporting must account for total expenditures and all recipients of services supported by SSBG Funding. The reporting for recipients of services must only be tied to SSBG expenditures if blended funding is used to support the awardee's program and SSBG funding is only going to a selection of awardees for the program [e.g. X program has 100 grantees. 75/100 grantees receive SSBG funds, 25/100 do not. Data is provided for only the 75 grantees].
The data collection tool (SSBG Expenditure and Client Identifier Spreadsheet) will be provided. Recipients of Title XX federal dollars must ensure that the following information is collected:
- A unique identifier for each client (e.g. first name & last initial or a unique client ID)
- Type of eligible service provided (refer to the Appendix SSBG-Title XX Eligible Services list)
- Total Expenditures of Program
- SSBG Allocation +
- Expenditures of all other Federal, State and Local Funds (Non-SSBG funds)
- Total number of individuals served, disaggregated by
- Children (0-18)
- Adults (19-59)
- Seniors (60 and above)
- Race or Ethnicity of Individuals served
- American Indian or Alaska Native
- Asian
- Black or African American
- Hispanic or Latino
- Middle Eastern or North African
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
- White
- Some other Race
- Two or more races
Program Monitoring [Division/Program]
Grant programs funded by SSBG funding are required to be monitored, at minimum, once every three (3) fiscal years. A review of the provider's general operating procedures and fiscal and service records must be conducted to determine adherence to the IDHS Uniform Grant Agreement requirements. It is strongly encouraged, the IDHS Program Monitoring Guide be used as a resource.
At a minimum, monitoring must include the following:
- Review of service records for documentation of the request for service and application,
- Determination of eligibility for client participation,
- Proof of development of a program/service/treatment plan with established goals, evaluation of progress toward meeting the established service goals,
- Review of fiscal records to verify supporting documentation for reported program expenditures, also known as allowable expenditure testing, and
- A review of the awardee's general operating procedures to assess the awardee's oversight of the SSBG funded program.
Title XX DFI - Reporting Frequency
Performance Data is collected monthly, quarterly, and annually, by the Illinois Department of Human Services - Office of Adult Services and Basic Supports.
Expenditure Reporting
Monthly expenditure data must be reported by the 15th of the month following the month of service.
Quarterly Reporting for Contract Deliverables - Service Activity
Quarterly reports are due within 15 days from the end of the quarter, October 15, January 15, April 15, and July 15.
Annual Final Report
The Annual Final Report is due to the Association of Children and Families (ACF) within 30 days subsequent to the end of the State fiscal year.
Minority Seniors Report (IL 444-1947)
IDHS, along with other state agencies, must submit information on program/service participation of minority senior citizens to the Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA). At the conclusion of the fiscal year, the provider is required to report this information to the Department. IDHS then submits this information to the designee.
Total Award
The total award for the Donated Funds Initiative is comprised of two parts, 25% local match required by state rule and the 75% funding commitment from IDHS. The matching funds must be identified before the state commits to funding. The Total Award is also referred to as the 100% level of funding.
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DEFINITIONS
Following is a listing of terms used throughout the Program Manual that may be of assistance in implementing requirements of the DFI.
SAP/ERP - The System Analysis Program/Enterprise Resource Planning (SAP/ERP) is the accounting system that is replacing CARS as of State FY22. The SAP/ERP system has been customized for IDHS to accomplish the same main objectives as CARS.
Donated Funds Initiative Request for Reimbursement - This is the standard form used to submit invoices by organizations with DFI Uniform Grant Agreements.
Certified Public Expenditures - These are expenditures for social services that are certified as such by a public agency, pursuant to the contractual agreement, in order to be considered as a portion of the State's share of social services expenditures.
C-13 Invoice-Voucher - The C-13 Invoice-Voucher is the standard form used by IDHS to make payments to organizations with agreements to provide approved residential services.
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Community Outreach Plan - This plan includes a detailed description for notifying the community of the program, hours of operation, and admittance/eligibility requirements into the programs(s) they administer for IDHS. IDHS must approve any publication and distribution of flyers, printed materials and brochures that are part of the IDHS funded program. All contractors must have a referral process that assists program participants with enrollment into public benefit programs such as TANF, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), AllKids, medical and disability assistance, as well as other resources that address the needs of the population targeted for service. A record of referrals made to and from IDHS must be maintained. This information is reported as required.
Uniform Grant Agreement (UGA) (Note: The UGA is used to refer to all Grant agreements with IDHS. Non-Grant agreements would be considered Administrative Contracts.) - The Uniform Grant Agreement is the standard legal boilerplate used by IDHS and approved by the Illinois Office of the Comptroller to purchase social services from private and public community-based organizations or units of local government. The agreement is signed by the provider and the Secretary of IDHS.
Service Activity Report (IL 444-4132.pdf) - Reports which will be completed by service providers quarterly reporting the actual numbers of clients served and the actual contracted services provided during each quarter of the State Fiscal Year. In addition, the report summarizes performance indicators that measure the degree to which providers have achieved their identified program goals. This report is shown as Exhibit IV. Additionally, a Demographic Report must be completed each quarter.
Fixed Rate Grant - Title XX Social Services Block Grant Donated Funds Initiative is a fixed rate grant program for which the payments are made on the basis of a rate or actual allowable cost incurred pursuant to a statement or invoice as required by IDHS.
Group Service - Group service is any activity, therapy, counseling, or regimen of treatment involving a participant to a counselor ratio greater than 1:1.
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Individual Service - Individual Service is any activity, therapy, counseling, or regimen of treatment involving a participant to a counselor ratio of 1:1.
In-Kind Contributions - The value of third-party non-cash contributions provided for directly benefiting the program. In-kind may consist of donated services, goods, property and equipment.
Minority Seniors Report (IL 444-1947.pdf) - 20 ILCS 105/4.06 requires the Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) to prepare an annual report on all programs and services provided to "Minority Senior Citizens" to the Governor and the General Assembly. The IDHS, along with other state agencies, must submit information on program/service participation of minority senior citizens to the IDoA. At the end of the fiscal year, the Department will ask each provider to report these statistics on the persons served through the DFI program during the fiscal year.
For the purposes of this report, the definition of a senior citizen is a person 55 years of age or older. The reporting categories are African American, Hispanic, Asian American, American Indian or Alaskan Native and Caucasian (Caucasian category included for comparison purposes).
Program Plan - The DFI program plan describes the anticipated service levels, and budget that providers will implement for the DFI grant award. The provider is required to comply with all of the conditions and provisions of the program plan.
Provider - A provider is a public agency or private community-based organization under a contractual agreement with the Illinois Department of Human Services to deliver specific social services to a target population.
Public Agencies - A public agency defined at 50 ILCS 25/2 9 (a); it currently means "the various counties, townships, cities, villages and incorporated towns, school districts, sanitary districts, boards of education, park districts, housing authorities, public building commissions, or any other municipal corporation or governmental agencies of the State, now or hereafter created, whether herein specifically enumerated or not."
Title XX Social Services Block Grant Pre-Expenditure Report (Intended Use Plan) - Federal requirements that Illinois must meet in order to receive the Title XX allocation include submitting the Title XX Social Services Block Grant Projected Expenditure Report. It must be submitted to the federal Department of Health and Human Services thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of the state fiscal year, July 1. The report is the State's plan for social services provided under the Title XX Social Services Block Grant. The report projects the number of adults, seniors and children to be served, expenditures to be incurred, and describes each service and target population.
Title XX Social Services Block Grant Expenditure Report (Post-Expenditure Report) - The second required federal programmatic report is the Title XX Social Services Block Grant Expenditure Report, which must be submitted six (6) months after the end of the state fiscal year in the case of Illinois or prior to the beginning of the new fiscal year for some other states. The Expenditure Report provides the actual data, which includes TOTAL program expenditures, number of clients served, and a client identifier for each client. This will then be compared to projections. The Federal Financial Report (FFR) is submitted by the IDHS budget office.
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