Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) funds are awarded directly to States. The State and local communities are fully responsible, within the limitations of the law, for determining the use of their funds. The State and local communities has the flexibility to determine what services are provided, who is eligible to receive services, and how funds are distributed among various providers within the State of Utah and local communities.
Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) funds are to enable local agencies to furnish social services best suited to meet the needs of the individuals residing within their community. Such services may be, but are not limited to: daycare for children or adults, protective services for children or adults, special services to persons with disabilities, adoption, case management, health-related services, transportation, foster care for children or adults, substance abuse, housing, home-delivered meals, independent/transitional living, employment services, information and referral, or any other social services found necessary by the State and local communities.
SSBG uniform definitions of services can be found at: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/resource/uniform-definition-of-services.
Housing, Transportation, and Income Management (not duplicating services of another provider) were emphasized as priorities in the 2019 Five County Need Assessment and these services and those specifically in line with county inter-generational poverty plans will be prioritized. Pantry applications will likely not be considered.
Regardless of the services funded by the SSBG funds, they must be used to provide services directed toward one of the following five goals specified in the law:
- 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 interest, 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;
- Securing referral or admission for institutional care when other forms of care are not appropriate or providing services to individuals in institutions.
Social Services Block Grant rules are issued by the Federal Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, under the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) # 93.667. Federal funds are passed-through the Utah Department of Human Services to Five County Association of Governments, Community Action Partnership Program. The SSBG is subject to regulations periodically published in the Federal Register.
For more information about SSBG, visit https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/programs/ssbg
Five County Community Action Partnership 