The profile report for the Charlotte County Department of Social Services (DSS) for 2018 was released. The profiles, compiled by the Virginia Department of Social Services provides the more current rates of poverty, the percentages of the population who are enrolled in benefits programs, where funding for these programs come from, and how they are distributed in the Gazette’s coverage area.
To access the full reports for each county, visit https://www.dss.virginia.gov/geninfo/reports/agency_wide/ldss_profile.cgi, and click on the link that reads, “2018 SFY (rev.).”
Once the document downloads, hover over the header “Locality name,” to look at the report.
PROFILE REPORT
Charlotte Department of Social Services Director Sari Goff said there may be shifts in some categories, she said the county’s profile report is relatively similar to past years.
“It really hasn’t gone up a lot or gone down,” Goff said about the statistics related to the report. “It’s pretty stabilized.”
The total population in 2017, according to the county’s profile report, comes to 12,119.
The percentage of all people in poverty for the county in 2017 was estimated to total 17 percent, or 2,073 in total. The percentage of children who live in poverty was estimated at 26 percent, or 666 total, according to the report.
The unemployment rate in 2017 was 4.7 percent, or 249 people in total, according to the report.

According to the profile, 2,609 clients received SNAP benefits in State Fiscal Year 2018, 207 received TANF and 3,322 received Medicaid.

While the Medicaid expansion did not take effect until Jan. 1, missing the window of the profile report, Goff said she has noticed an increase in Medicaid sign-ups from residents in 2019 so far.

“That’s certainly been a trend for this year,” Goff said.

Changes to Medicaid for Virginia include allowing childless adults to qualify if their annual income is at or falls below $16,754. A family of three would be eligible for Medicaid if their annual income is at or falls below $28,677. A person with a disability is eligible if their annual income is at or falls below $16,754.

Energy assistance by household in Charlotte in 2018, according to the report, totaled 218. No data was available per component, or who received fuel, cooling or crisis assistance specifically.

There are 26 total children in Charlotte County in foster care, five children exited to adoption and 22 receiving adoption assistance, according to the report.

There are 146 children with Child Protective Services referrals. There are 26 people who were subjects of Adult Protective Services reports.

According to the report, 93.4 percent of the funds was distributed to benefits, 6.3 percent was distributed to the DSS administration and 0.3 percent was distributed for services purchased for clients.

The report cites that 42.9 percent of funding for Charlotte County DSS came from the state, 53.6 percent came from federal funds and 2.4 percent came from the locality.

The total amount spent on social services in the county in State Fiscal Year (SFY) 2018 was $27,112,727. According to the report, $944,386 were the funds provided by the county.

The county DSS, as of Sept. 30, 2018, had 17 direct staff members, seven indirect staff members, five unfilled positions for direct staff members and four unfilled positions for indirect staff members.

Goff said a feature of the Charlotte DSS unique to surrounding counties is a workforce center at the office. Goff said the office serves as an informational site. The DSS office contracts with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to hire case managers located at Southside Virginia Community College, South Hill and South Boston. The WIOA case managers can meet with clients at the Charlotte DSS to discuss employment or resources that clients can use to build skills.

Goff said the workforce center enables clients to come to the DSS office and search for employment.

“We feel that this is a great service to the clients in our community,” Goff said about the office.

The Charlotte County DSS can be reached at (434) 542-5164.