February 2024
Dear Chairman McKay and Members of the Board of Supervisors,
The Advisory Social Services Board (ASSB) presents this annual report as required by the Code of Virginia, on the services provided and outcomes achieved by the Department of Family Services (DFS) in 2023. As this report shows, the need for DFS services remains high.
The need for the services provided to the community continues to grow and is still affected by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. In our post-pandemic environment, the number of county residents accessing public benefits remains significantly increased over pre-pandemic times. This growth in caseload is related to the still-changing State and federal policy related to Medicaid and childcare services. The number of recipients for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has not dissipated, signaling that many families who accessed this service during the pandemic continue to remain eligible for this program to help them buy food. Research has shown that economic stress, unaddressed or under-addressed mental health needs, and other social stressors are correlated to higher incidence of family violence. DFS also continues to see increases in its protective programs in adult protective services, child protective services, and domestic and sexual violence services.
Over the past year, the ASSB focused on the intersection of DFS services with other human services agencies, especially with respect to the needs of children and youth. The ASSB studied child and youth wellbeing as it relates to adverse childhood experiences, and saw how the effects of violence, abuse, or neglect, household substance use, mental health problems, and economic hardship can span a child’s lifetime. However, interventions that support the integration of protective factors in families, available through DFS and the broader Health and Human Services Continuum, can reduce the behavioral, social, and emotional impacts of maltreatment, both for the short and long term.
While a focus on well-being is integrated into all aspects of DFS services, the reparative and preventative work of the department must continue, as well as collaboration with other human services agencies, public safety officers, and the courts, to promote safe, stable, nurturing relationships and environments where children live, learn, and play.
With timely intervention, children are more likely to be successful in school, teens are more likely to be engaged in work or educational pursuits, adults are more likely to own homes and businesses, and older adults are more likely to remain active and independent. These elements form the foundation of our robust community here in Fairfax County.
DFS bears witness each day to the lingering impacts of the pandemic on our community’s most vulnerable residents and aspires to provide supportive services to meet the evolving complex needs of the families and individuals at risk. The rise in inflation, increased sexual and domestic violence, and behavioral health issues are all putting a strain on social services and the community. As a result, the services DFS provides are essential for supporting the community and helping people thrive. Maintaining core DFS services is critical to the success of the community.
The ASSB takes note with satisfaction of what DFS has been able to accomplish in a post-pandemic world marked by the evolving and complex needs of families and individuals served, and wishes to thank the Board of Supervisors for your ongoing support of critical human services and those provided by DFS in particular, and looks forward to working collaboratively with the county to address the challenges for families and individuals served by DFS in this post-pandemic world.
Sincerely,
Laura Martinez, Chair
Advisory Social Services Board
*To request reasonable accommodations or to receive this information in an alternate format, contact Melanie Fenwick by email or call 703-324-7868, TTY 711.