[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6386933,"mediaKeyId","2117431-7295ee1106197ad42ba91418e16050d4","parentId",2117431,"title","Appropriations preview: targeted rate increases, a host‑home option for DD waiver and cross‑disability planning","audioSeconds",204,"startMs",6765000,"endMs",6969000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2117431-7295ee1106197ad42ba91418e16050d4&start=6765&end=6969","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2117431-7295ee1106197ad42ba91418e16050d4/thumbnail_6765000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6386933/North-Dakota/Appropriations-preview-targeted-rate-increases-a-hosthome-option-for-DD-waiver-and-crossdisability-planning","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386933-5b262d762ce125209ec64b8cf8446d6c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770395847&Signature=MdKCWnosprUfRHMOVTALZTfNS4rlL0kEVUYjuzVAZpQQnTnnir2d0SG8UmAFqz-gGj8rT58LU~R7WNaDTfairg2bEqqoobzq5rUYiXxa5PGw02JDeZjzK0Rj1zZeNY9O6FUxkjI~r4DuVZldIJ7gq5LSuxzj6odz6TNapA59loU44KZAIsbnqUP2C-RH0w5TcTTaTv7yDTAQwHX5CQRyhxoBKikhIrhMz9KAZm5DOGIgyJCgA9I11vogkBqR67U~YPKJ2CEaF2TRM1wo7UcdO6R-TCXalbyudoymghbxk8IYtgUUZ2Xw~cCqbtEhsDdQ983PvgpraQkQhP1MKwkQFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Committee on Appropriations - Human Resources, ND","date","2025-01-15T00:00:00Z","article","Jessica Thomason, executive director of the Human Services Division at HHS, previewed items in the Armstrong administration’s executive recommendation that aim to expand home‑and‑community‑based service (HCBS) options.

Thomason said the executive proposal includes funding for targeted rate increases for qualified direct‑care providers, a new host‑home service within the developmental disabilities (DD) waiver and continued implementation work for a cross‑disability waiver focused on children with non‑residential needs.

Why it matters: Expanding HCBS options and raising provider rates affect capacity, provider sustainability and where people receive services. The committee will consider whether to fund those additions as part of the biennial budget.

Details in the presentation:
- The agency described a $5.3 million item for targeted provider rate increases (noted as part of medical services in the executive recommendation but relevant to HHS implementation).
- The agency proposes a host‑home service in the DD waiver to create an additional non‑institutional housing option for people who need stabilization and supported living arrangements.
- Continued work toward a cross‑disability waiver for children was described as an ongoing implementation effort; the Cross Disability Advisory Council has begun planning steps and the agency will bring further detail in section hearings.

Thomason framed these investments as aligning with the housing‑and‑services continuum: increasing capacity on the community side of the continuum can prevent unnecessary placements into higher‑acuity institutional settings. She emphasized coordination between the Human Services Division and Medical Services teams on implementation and noted that two of the three HCBS items appear in the medical services budget from an appropriations presentation perspective.

Follow‑up: Committee members will hear medical services and human services division directors in coming hearings for line‑by‑line discussion, cost‑to‑continue estimates and implementation timelines. No formal votes were taken during the overview.

Ending: The agency asked appropriators to consider the proposals as part of broader HCBS and workforce strategies and said more detailed budget and implementation materials will be provided in section hearings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Appropriations - Human Resources Division Jan 15, 2025\t","oneSentenceSummary","Thomason told the committee the executive recommendation contains targeted provider rate increases, a proposal to create a host‑home service in the developmental disabilities waiver and continued work on a children’s cross‑disability waiver.","taxTitle","Appropriations - Human Resources Division, House of Representatives, Legislative, North Dakota","taxId",28888,"location","North Dakota","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386939,"Child welfare timeliness flagged in audit; agency reports improving trends",496,6083000,6579000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2117431-7295ee1106197ad42ba91418e16050d4&start=6083&end=6579","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2117431-7295ee1106197ad42ba91418e16050d4/thumbnail_6083000.jpg","/articles/6386939/North-Dakota/Child-welfare-timeliness-flagged-in-audit-agency-reports-improving-trends","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386939-0bae5fa87bfddd996ea68e405fb50d53/orig.mp4?Expires=1770395847&Signature=lFmwh4utcAIgGBVGEqD4yEA5Bju7yIupZyHINeV7HhBnWmvPlJnhtZfK9tDVimQzAjFTPMApBoCGnHaoa4VanBKN0nnDuJWJr7CJCYzUwXiswxO~r8CH-PnrFK068i6loeMIZHKgSv8gn~dDBx~aU7EnAF7AYieZjSnG1mqtTRujEzzu8Ba0bSqyJinzn6Z~HzFFKNM5L7QvLN01Hna6UOGqSj2yvXyh6y8AeklDsY1m8pmY8xqhFDYMZXopQG~DRTzHhFBVGU4loPbdWpBzzhbCVYEUnYE~GR1DqLPNPCIYyAHJjekOFfekdqHkYbvusc83jyOAQBjanb2YmKeaSA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jessica Thomason, executive director of the Human Services Division at HHS, briefed the appropriations committee on audit findings related to child welfare face‑to‑face visit timeliness and on the division’s quality assurance response.

Thomason said the state operational audit for 2022–23 included findings about timely face‑to‑face child protection visits and workforce retention grants. She presented internal quality‑assurance data showing improvement in fiscal 2024, but she acknowledged the audit finding remains a concern: the federal performance metric for timely face‑to‑face visits was not met during the audit period.

Why it matters: Timely face‑to‑face contacts are a federal compliance measure tied to child safety oversight. Failure to meet federal benchmarks can trigger corrective actions and must be addressed in implementation and budget plans.

What the agency said: Thomason described factors behind the low timeliness during the audit window — pandemic disruptions, staff turnover and the implementation of a new practice model — and showed zone‑level trends indicating progress in many areas. She noted that a small number of high‑volume zones (Cass, Grand Forks, Burleigh and Ward) have outsized influence on statewide metrics and that improvements in those zones materially change the state totals.

Thomason said the division performs internal quality assurance every six months, reviews every case and tracks continuous improvement. She also said some cases that miss a strict 24‑hour benchmark may be compliant under policy exceptions and that different audit methodologies can lead to different compliance counts. \"When there's not progress being made, we will show you the data either way,\" Thomason told members.

Committee members asked about the feasibility of meeting strict timelines when practical constraints (school schedules, locating caregivers) exist. Representative O'Brien requested that auditors and the department collaborate on the narrative and methodology for future audit reports so the committee and public see both the compliance result and the contextual improvements.

Ending: The agency committed to ongoing quality assurance reporting and to providing the committee with more detailed reports on timeliness and corrective steps; no legislative action or vote was recorded during the briefing.","State auditors found repeated problems with timely face‑to‑face child welfare visits; HHS told appropriators timeliness has improved in fiscal 2024 though compliance remains a federal performance issue.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386949,"Committee hears childcare arithmetic: rising costs, pilots for nontraditional hours and continued assistance",851,2239000,3090000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2117431-7295ee1106197ad42ba91418e16050d4&start=2239&end=3090","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2117431-7295ee1106197ad42ba91418e16050d4/thumbnail_2239000.jpg","/articles/6386949/North-Dakota/Committee-hears-childcare-arithmetic-rising-costs-pilots-for-nontraditional-hours-and-continued-assistance","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386949-1adcf59fb0d2451086fab3a67aa65cbb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770395847&Signature=YR7X5XsNGWFDgK5BQF2vFc6mAK0INOQQIFhJiJCYiF~cs5lMnDtNkkzjlJsNyiqab8KC2tj1fXMQu0EQF50-SCz1WPWUaKXKjH9mnKrv9FLQOKC5Rx0kPONLq-VvG7uDaSktdGcJUSNUUZVW86kah02j4oN07gx0PW0gcJo8nwjVToCESuyOaFzopsZz9syx0KbWNsG3b6fDAuqKALJz~WNvGHI3669UnFmlwLttkh6N5GmW9ZAR7ywBI3g60L84VQTQ2YIxuIeyOU4vVpPzySbEj1vFteGlS4WUJeKbStgoRD~yEjOxJTBQ1ah-bXHeGY0El5ZmJNTWlursYYwqDQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jessica Thomason, executive director of the Human Services Division at HHS, told the appropriations committee that childcare costs have risen sharply in recent years and that affordability remains a major factor in workforce participation.

Thomason said North Dakota’s population growth and labor dynamics influence childcare demand and affordability. \"If you have young kids, childcare is not a slice of that pie — and it's a big slice,\" she said, illustrating how childcare can consume a sizable portion of household budgets.

Why it matters: Childcare affordability affects whether parents take or keep jobs. Appropriators must weigh investments in the childcare assistance program, provider supports and one‑time grants as part of workforce and economic strategies.

Key data and context presented:
- Average center‑based infant care: $1,065 per month (statewide average from the 2024 market and cost study). Monthly infant cost ranges cited: $606–$1,800 depending on provider and county.
- Market trend: childcare costs increased roughly 28–40% over the 2020–2024 period based on agency provider surveys.
- Childcare assistance program: The program sets a family co‑pay “never more than 7% of gross income” for eligible families; the committee asked for scenarios showing state fiscal cost if a 7% or other thresholds were adopted more broadly.
- Jobs and wages: Thomason said about 46% of job openings had an average hiring wage under $20 per hour (data pulled December 2024) and that roughly 70% of jobs in the state have average wages of $30 per hour or less.

Pilots and policy items:
Thomason summarized four provider‑led pilots (funded by prior one‑time appropriations) testing care in nontraditional hours — evenings, overnights and weekends — for workers with shift schedules. She cautioned uptake has been slow in the first months of pilots because families often continue fragile but existing child‑care arrangements. The pilots are intended to be learning projects for scaling models that work in specific communities.

Thomason also outlined program pieces funded or continued in the Armstrong administration’s executive recommendation: expansion of the “best in class” pre‑K program, continuation of grants and shared services, and carryover requests for working‑parent childcare relief and workforce training incentives. She said the economic assistance team’s base request includes cost‑to‑continue for existing child care assistance operations; the executive recommendation listed additions as one‑time requests.

Follow‑up: Committee members asked for county‑level occupancy and utilization details for pilots and for fiscal scenarios estimating state cost under 7% and other household co‑pay thresholds. Thomason said the agency would provide those scenarios and related cost‑to‑continue figures in upcoming section hearings.

Ending: The committee heard that childcare remains a high‑cost, high‑priority area tied to workforce strategy; several pilot and grant programs continue under one‑time funding and will require legislative consideration for continuation.","Jessica Thomason outlined childcare cost trends, affordability targets, pilot projects for nontraditional hours, and the role of childcare in workforce participation and appropriations planning.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6386954,"Human Services Division frames work around a housing-and-services continuum and ‘resource literacy’",4346,217000,4563000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2117431-7295ee1106197ad42ba91418e16050d4&start=217&end=4563","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2117431-7295ee1106197ad42ba91418e16050d4/thumbnail_217000.jpg","/articles/6386954/North-Dakota/Human-Services-Division-frames-work-around-a-housing-and-services-continuum-and-resource-literacy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6386954-4d37106f4266878125760467981f2def/orig.mp4?Expires=1770395847&Signature=gdKbBQcF6bAC6vmxakX4pswoCgNd1zBvUl06lkGPafoLry6dKTZiQ-WlGZVNQkYB0hO--bo0UWdxiVvwsBaeJZ-eoMK9wYsgYNoPc5sgIZMOkS3mowr5CU23ujJ13EDgbs1ZMucc8BmuzDA0pGrljnvm5tdx7j0yYaLqd-gtRQV6EGymRrWtok12DVB02QhGHAJ1N9FW-qdV-bMsRIaaJxbOfAQnCuVzSo79ha0clo1SbPOqlAPL1yXKSkalnwnNmAgXd0RGWi~mER1OoyYKASDPlrXI-AnuFZCmnOcT2zy46wUSL60Ckukj4heBL0ytN1LR7fSe7QLt8iTm1KhFbg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Jessica Thomason, executive director of the Human Services Division at the Department of Health and Human Services, told the House appropriations committee on May 20 that the division organizes its work around core functions — money management, quality standards, access assurance, and safety-net services — and a housing-and-services continuum that prioritizes integrated, home-based options when appropriate.

Thomason said the presentation was intended as an overview to “queue up” more detailed conversations the committee will hold with individual teams in the coming weeks. She described the division as ten teams that work across common goals and emphasized the need to center the citizen experience in service design. \"It isn't even just us here in the division. It is all of us together at HHS,\" Thomason said.

Why it matters: Appropriators received a high‑level roadmap of how the division prioritizes services across child welfare, long‑term supports, behavioral health, early childhood and other systems. The framework is intended to guide budget decisions by linking program choices to the place of service — from independent home settings on one end of the continuum to institutional care on the other — and by highlighting where investments may prevent crisis by keeping people in less‑restrictive settings.

Thomason explained the continuum as a spectrum from most integrated (a person living in their own home with minimal or no services) to least integrated (institutional care with higher acuity and monitoring). She said the state’s policy goal is to deliver the right service “in the place at the right time” and to make services flexible so people can receive different intensities of care without necessarily changing where they live.

Thomason framed three cross‑cutting threads for appropriators: (1) growing a strong, stable workforce requires stable families; (2) filling gaps in the system of care can prevent crises; and (3) pushing toward simplicity improves the citizen experience. She identified “resource literacy” — being present where people look for information and making navigation simple — as a priority task. \"We are really trying to figure out how do we be present where people are,\" Thomason said.

The overview also presented demographic context and fiscal framing. Thomason cited a 16.6% population increase in North Dakota between 2010 and 2023 and highlighted growth in both the under‑18 and over‑65 populations. She noted system interdependence across HHS divisions and framed the division’s work as supporting household stability through service choice, training and provider payments.

Discussion items Thomason flagged for follow‑up include: how human service zone navigators coordinate across systems; the role of certified community behavioral health centers in local service networks; the timeline and incremental nature of multi‑year system changes (for example, human service zone implementation and child welfare reforms); and the Armstrong administration executive budget items that affect the division. No formal committee action or vote occurred during the presentation.

The committee asked for more detail at later hearings on specific budget changes, the Armstrong administration’s proposed restorations and reductions, and the mechanics of improving citizen access (technology, forms, client portals). Thomason said many of those details will be provided by division directors in subsequent section hearings.

Ending: The presentation served as a strategic primer for appropriators on where the Human Services Division sees gaps and opportunities; Thomason said the division will bring directors and program teams to the committee for line‑by‑line detail in coming weeks.","Jessica Thomason, executive director of the Human Services Division at HHS, briefed the appropriations committee on the division’s scope, its housing-and-services continuum framework, and efforts to simplify access to services for North Dakotans.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Appropriations preview: targeted rate increases, a host‑home option for DD waiver and cross‑disability planning

Child welfare timeliness flagged in audit; agency reports improving trends

Committee hears childcare arithmetic: rising costs, pilots for nontraditional hours and continued assistance

Human Services Division frames work around a housing-and-services continuum and ‘resource literacy’