Overview

Budget and Organization is an integral part of any work that a policymaker wants to accomplish on human services issues. Now more than ever, state legislators need to better leverage budget dollars. NCSL's D.C. staff carefully track human services funding streams in the federal budget and NCSL's Denver staff tracks state budget issues, helping states to navigate the myriad of rules that come with federal funding. Over the past decade, state policymakers have struggled with the failure of children and family service systems and their complex and uncoordinated array of services. We have information to help legislatures examine how other states have responded to these problems by reorganizing state agencies, using results-focused planning and budgeting, and increasing flexibility and control of resources for local governments and communities.