Indiana child and family welfare agencies rely heavily on state-funded reimbursement through theDepartment of Child Services (DCS) to implement and sustain services. Unable to swiftly reflect the increased costs of inputs necessary for serving children and families under this reimbursement structure, several agencies struggle to meet the demands of the workforce, limiting their ability to effectively and fully serve some of the state’s most vulnerable individuals. For this reason, several providers came together in 2023 to seek funding in the state’s biennial budget to stabilize the industry’s workforce and provide much needed financial relief to providers making large financial investments in their workers.
RJL Solutions worked hand in hand with Indiana’s Child and Family Welfare Association (IARCA), as well as a coalition of other advocates representing child and family welfare providers, for the inclusion of $30 million in the 2023 biennial state budget to create workforce stabilization grants to assist child and family welfare agencies in attracting and retaining workers. RJL Solutions aided the coalition in preparing and distributing marketing materials, meeting with key fiscal leaders and lending support for the overall advocacy strategy.
As budget requests often go, language was not included in the initial House- nor Senate-passed versions of the budget; however, the coalition persisted in making the case for the workforce stabilization funding. As a result of the coalition’s tireless efforts, $30 million was allocated to DCS in the final budget adopted by theIndiana General Assembly on the last day of the 2023 Legislative Session and signed by Governor Holcomb.
The legislation in its entirety can be found here.
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