Kathy Fenlon Oswego City-County Youth Bureau

Background Oswego County has directly managed YDDP municipal contracts for nearly 20 years. In 2010, with the introduction of QYDS, there was an opportunity to move the direct municipal contracts into a more streamlined structure. 2

Advantages to the County Incorporating municipal YDDP funding into the county youth bureau budget: Shows the full scope of work that the youth bureau does. Gives the county control and oversight of municipal state aid dollars. Makes it easier to move and use unused municipal state aid dollars. Directly ties the county youth bureau to the municipal programs. Ensures that counties will spend 100% of their YDDP state aid. 3

Advantages to the municipalities: Municipalities receive their state aid reimbursement more quickly. Municipalities only deal with the county, they do not need to deal with anyone beyond the county level. Paperwork for municipalities is minimized. 4

Advantages to NYSOCFS The county has agreements with the municipalities, saving time for OCFS, they do not need to do individual agreements with each municipality. The county reimburses municipalities directly, then submits claims to the state. In Oswego County, we went from 25 individual municipal programs, 25 different claims, and 25 annual reports to 2 programs, 2 claims, and 2 annual reports. 5

Additional advantages using QYDS: Saves work and time for the county, local municipalities, and the state: Municipal programs can be consolidated, saving time for the county youth bureau. Municipal paperwork is minimized. The amount of claims that go to NYS are reduced significantly. 6

So how is it done? Build the municipal state aid funding into your county budget. Show the municipal state aid both as an expense and as revenue—no county funds Contracts$xxx State aid$xxx 7

And then what? Send each of your municipalities (via snail mail, e- mail, or your website) a simplified application form. Ask only for the information that is needed for QYDS: Name of municipality the program Total program budget and state aid Dates of program operation Contact information Program sites Brief program summary Breakdown of # served 8

INDIVIDUAL MUNICIPAL PROGRAM APPLICATION Oswego City-County Youth Bureau Sponsoring Municipality: Click here to enter text.Implementing Agency: Click here to enter text. Total Program Budget: $ Click here to enter text. OCFS Funds Requested: $ Click here to enter text. Program Title: Click here to enter text. Federal ID #: Click here to enter text. Period of Actual Operation – From: Click here to enter text. To: Click here to enter text. Contact Person: Click here to enter text. Title: Click here to enter text. Telephone Number (315) Click here to enter text. Click here to enter text. PROGRAM SITES: -- Most Significant Type Address (Street, City, State, Zip) Click here to enter text. PROGRAM SUMMARY: (Please describe your program, including start and end dates, dates and hours of operation, and activities. Additional sheets may be attached is needed) Unduplicated Count of youth and clients served Click here to enter text. Sex of program participants, # of Males:Click here to enter text.Females: Click here to enter text. Ethnicity, # of: -White: Click here to enter text. Black or African American: Click here to enter text. Asian: Click here to enter text. American Indian or Alaskan Native: Click here to enter text. Hispanic or Latino:Click here to enter text. Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: Click here to enter text. Two or More Races Click here to enter text. Ages: 0-4 Click here to enter text. 5-9 Click here to enter text Click here to enter text Click here to enter text Click here to enter text. 21+ Click here to enter text. 9

Incorporate into QYDS Develop 2 QYDS programs—one for municipal youth service programs and one for municipal youth recreation programs. The implementing agency is the county youth bureau. The total program budget and state aid is the total of all of the municipal programs. List all of the program sites. Summarize the municipal programs: “Recreation activities provided throughout ABC County (xx municipalities). Programs are operated by municipalities.” 10

Incorporate into QYDS, continued Collect the 8 developmental features once from each municipality, and summarize. Review all municipal programs and select the most common goals, objectives, and service methods. 11

Example for Municipal Youth Recreation Life Area:Community Goal: NYS communities will provide children, youth and their families with opportunities to help them meet their needs for physical, social, moral and emotional growth. Objective: Communities will make available and accessible formal and informal services (e.g.. Child care, parent training, recreation, youth services, libraries, museums, parks). Service Method: Administering or Providing for Services/Supports. Training/Technical Assistance 12

Example for Municipal Youth Recreation, continued Life Area: Physical and Emotional Health Goal: Children and youth will have optimal physical and emotional health. Objective: Children and youth will be physically fit. Service Method: Recreational Activities (Year Round) Service Method: Recreational Activities (Summer) 13

Example for Municipal Youth Service Life Area: Citizenship/Civic Engagement Goal: Children and youth will demonstrate good citizenship as law-abiding, contributing members of their families, schools and communities. Objective: Children and youth will participate in family and community activities. Service Method: Afterschool programs Service Method: Community Service/Youth Activism Projects 14

Example Municipal Youth Service, continued Objective: Children and youth will make constructive use of leisure time. Service Method: Cultural Enrichment/Awareness Service Method: Character Education 15

Example Municipal Youth Service, continued Life Area: Community Goal: New York State communities will provide children, youth and their families with opportunities to help them meet their needs for physical, social, moral and emotional growth Objective: Communities will make available and accessible formal and informal services (e.g., child care, parent training, recreation, youth services, libraries, museums, parks). Service Method: Administering or Providing Funding for Services/Supports Service Method: Programs/Models 16

Example Municipal Youth Service, continued Life Area: Community Goal: New York State communities will provide children, youth and their families with opportunities to help them meet their needs for physical, social, moral and emotional growth Objective: Communities will provide opportunities for youth to make positive contributions to community life and to practice skill development. Service Method: Administering or Providing Funding for Services/Supports Service Method: Programs/Models 17

Local agreements/contracts with municipalities Develop a contract or agreement to be used for municipal programs. Turn this into a template by marking areas that will be changed for individual programs: Name of municipality and program. Dates of operation. State aid funding. Complete the template for each municipal program by filling in the designated areas. Municipality and county sign agreement. 18

Claiming process Develop a claiming schedule that will work for you and incorporate that language into the municipal agreement/contract. Municipalities invoice the county youth bureau for actual expenses—the level of detail required is up to your county. Municipalities do not need to give the level of detail they do now (check date, check #, etc.) The municipal bill must be at least twice as much as the state aid requested. 19

Claiming process, continued The county youth bureau reimburses the municipality. The county youth bureau prepares 2 claims to send to OCFS based on the 2 QYDS programs—youth service and recreation. Claims can be sent to NYSOCFS on a schedule the County chooses (quarterly, bi-annually, annually). NYSOCFS reimburses the county for the state aid. 20

Unused state aid If a municipal program does not operate, the county can move the state aid within the QYDS program to another municipal program, or move it between QYDS programs to another contracted program, or move it to a Youth Bureau operated program. 21

Monitoring Monitor each municipal program as usual. Fiscal monitoring can be considered. Municipalities complete annual reports; the county youth bureau compiles these reports into two to send OCFS—one for youth service and one for recreation. 22

Summary The system is efficient once set up, and saves everyone time from the county to the individual municipality to the state. This gives your county the larger picture of what you do. This does not take more time for your county, and saves a tremendous amount of time for the municipalities and for OCFS. 23

Summary, continued Municipalities get their state aid reimbursement quicker. This system gives you control over the municipal state aid dollars, and gives a way to easily transfer unused municipal state aid to a program that will use it, ensuring that 100% of state aid is used. 24