Opening Statement of Councilmember David Grosso

Committee on Human Services FY21 Budget Oversight Hearing on

Department of Human Services, Child and Family Services, and the
Department of Disability Services
May 26, 2020

Thank you Chairperson Nadeau for convening this budget oversight hearing and thank you to
all the public witnesses who testified last week.

The budgets for the agencies under this Committee’s purview are some of the most important.
When dollars are in short supply, how we fund services for our most marginalized communities
and individuals tells a lot about ourselves.

In planning for the human services budget during this pandemic, we should bring the same
philosophy that the Mayor has had in planning our medical response: prepare for the worst
case scenario, and hope it doesn’t get that bad.

Unfortunately, I don’t see that ideal reflected in the Mayor’s proposed budget. While it includes
some important enhancements, the human services budget falls short of meeting the human
needs of the catastrophe that is unfolding.

This concerns me simply as a Councilmember and a human being who cares about those
struggling with poverty, but the safety net also is critical from my perspective as Chairperson
of the Committee on Education. We know that what happens outside of school affects the
achievement of students in school.

I appreciate the important work that the Department of Human Services, the Child and Family
Services Agency, and the Department on Disability Services have done to support our
residents and improve access to services during this pandemic. Thank you to everyone at these
agencies for their hard work to rise to the occasion.

My concern is that the Mayor’s FY21 budget does not go far enough to support our residents
who are, or will be, in serious need of our help.

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