The Finance team manages Probation’s budget preparation, monitoring, payables, revenue claiming, and collections operations. Budget Services prepares the Department’s annual proposed budget, and shepherds that proposal through a collaborative due diligence process with the County’s Chief Executive Office (CEO). The proposal includes current funding (slightly over $1 billion annually) and proposed new expenditures or modifications to the Department’s funding allocation based on emerging needs and grounded in best practices. The CEO consolidates Probation’s proposal into a Countywide proposal for Board review, modification, and approval. The Board of Supervisors’ approval of the budget provides “appropriation authority” which authorizes Probation to utilize the funds. The budget is the Department’s “road map” for spending aligned with Board goals and Finance objectives. Probation’s budget team monitors revenue sources and expenditures throughout the year to ensure performance remains consistent with the approved budget plan. The Department’s budget for fiscal year 2018-19 is just over $1 billion, with 77 percent utilized for salary and salary-related expenditures of its dedicated workforce. The remaining 23 percent supports items including services from other County departments, utilities, supplies, equipment, and facility repairs and renovations. Just over one-third of the budget is funded through grant programs, typically from the State and Federal Government. The remainder is locally sourced from the economic engine that is Los Angeles County, primarily in the form of property and sales taxes. Salaries & Benefits $773,910,000 Fixed Assets & Other $14,373,000 Services & Supplies $213,404,000 Probation Department Total Appropriations: $1,001,687,000 Source: FY 2018-2019 Final Adopted Budget 77% Salaries & Benefits 21% Services & Supplies 2% Fixed Assets & Other In the past several years the Department has shifted resources toward community-based organizations so that they can create and deliver services for youth in camps and halls and diversion programs to keep youth out of the juvenile justice system altogether. This chart compares the decrease in the detained youth population and the increase in services provided through these community- based organizations. Discontinuation of Juvenile Detention Fines and Fees Recognizing that the financial hardship of paying fees associated with probation supervision can negatively impact the recovery of clients and families, coupled with the diminished return in administrative costs in collecting those fees, probation departments across the country have begun studying or eliminating the collection of fees associated with probation supervision. On January 1, 2018, California Senate Bill 190 ended the assessment of juvenile detention fees statewide. In 2009, L.A. County stopped actively collecting fees from parents and guardians for the detention of their children. On October 9, 2018, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors further moved to discontinue any collection of outstanding juvenile detention fees assessed prior to 2009, and to release any existing debts. Title IV-E Funding The Title IV-E Waiver has dramatically improved the innovation and effectiveness of Probation’s juvenile programs since 2007, providing a source of flexible federal funding for serving children who are at risk or experiencing out-of-home care. Title IV-E Waiver funds have delivered big decreases across the board—the kind of decreases the Department takes pride in— cutting the time youth spend out of their own homes almost in half, placing fewer juveniles in residential or foster care at all, and contributing toward the 70 percent reduction of the number of youth in Probation’s juvenile halls and camps. However, this vital funding that has produced so much progress may end on October 1, 2019. The threat relates to the new Federal Family First Prevention Services Act that will narrow the definitions of prevention services and eligibility. L.A. County began lobbying efforts in 2018 toward delaying the new guidelines for two years to allow a transition period for Probation’s programs, services and clients. Without such a transition, only 15 to 20 percent of the youth currently served under this waiver would be eligible for these funds. Probation’s Commitment to Community-Based Organizations and Declining Juvenile Population $90.0 $67.5 $45.0 $22.5 $0.0 Jan 2016 Jan 2017 Jan 2018 1,200 1,100 1,000 900 Funding to Community Organizations Funding in Millions Hall & Camp Juvenile Population Population L.A. County Probation Department | 2018 Annual Report 61 60 L.A. County Probation Department | 2018 Annual Report