TITLE
Title
DHHS-SOCIAL SERVICES DIVISION BUDGET AMENDMENT: SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP) AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT (ARPA) FUNDING TO COUNTIES FOR FEDERAL FY 2022
end
SPONSOR
Sponsor
Sharon Barlow
end
BACKGROUND
Background
The State of North Carolina received a total of $15.4 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to assist with administering the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the NC Department of Health of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) is allocating a total of $10 million of this funding to counties on a reimbursement basis. NC DHHS is calculating the amount allocated per county based on Food & Nutrition Services (FNS) caseloads; Guilford County's share of the funding based on this calculation is $638,000.39. The funds available for reimbursement for expenses through September 30, 2022. Guidance from the US Department of Agriculture and NC DHHS is for the funds to be used to support administration of the FNS program and to improve technology in a way that will increase access to the FNS and SNAP programs. Example uses include investing in technology tools for online applications, benefits management, and outcome and activities reporting; ensuring client access is mobile friendly; expanding call center capacity; investing in technology and training to modernize service delivery; and reducing barriers to vulnerable populations including those without easy access to technological or remote tools and operations. NC DHHS has given the County until June 2023 to spend the funds. Social Services staff have identified an initial list of items to purchase including additional computers, scanners, and other tools needed for processing applications; potential expansion of the call center; adding additional remote or online application submission tools to allow fully remote application completion; improving access to the interpreter services at all parts of the FNS application process via on-dema...
Click here for full text