FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Dec. 21, 1999
Contact: Michael Kharfen, (202) 401-9215
Y2K READINESS OF STATE CHILDREN AND FAMILY PROGRAMS
Summary: Meeting the Year 2000 (Y2K) challenge is a top priority for
the HHS Administration for Children and Families (ACF). ACF's goals
are to be sure that the agency's internal systems are prepared for the
year 2000, and that states are able to continue to deliver benefits
and services to children and families. ACF's internal computer systems
are Y2K compliant. End to end testing of these computer systems was
conducted in August and September. The President's Council for Y2K Conversion
and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) identified five programs
funded by ACF as high impact programs. They are child care, child support
enforcement, child welfare, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP)
and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs. In order
to ensure that benefits and services are available to clients after
January 1, ACF is also providing technical assistance to state agencies
that operate and support these programs.
The five programs are operated directly by the states with oversight
from ACF. State computers are used to determine the eligibility of beneficiaries
and the disbursement of payments. In addition to supporting the administration
and oversight of these programs, computers help make sure that eligible
beneficiaries get the services they need and pay providers of these
services such as foster care and child care. State computers are used
to identify and locate delinquent non-custodial parents and collect
child support payments. The five programs, operated by the States and
territories, receive over $30 billion in federal funds to promote the
economic and social well being of families, children, individuals, and
communities.
ACF conducted on-site assessments in fifty-five jurisdictions to evaluate
the Y2K compliance of the operations of the five high impact programs.
ACF visited the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam,
American Samoa and the Virgin Islands to assess information systems.
Overall, states are well prepared forY2K. All states and the District
of Columbia have completed the major remediation, renovation, testing
and implementation of the 5 program systems. All states have completed
contingency plans where needed to assure alternative means of providing
services in the unlikely occurrence of some system problems. Several
of the territories do have outstanding technical system work to complete,
but intend to provide services manually until computers are ready.
Although States are responsible for assuring Y2K readiness of their
computer systems, ACF provides technical assistance to state agencies,
including guidance and examples for contingency planning strategies
and information on model practices. ACF has also taken the extra step
of hiring expert consultants who, in addition to assessing states' progress
to their own goals and standards in becoming Y2K compliant, provided
detailed feedback and additional technical support. These contractors
also assessed the completeness of each state's contingency plans.
State Status
The latest information for all fifty-five jurisdictions visited and
assessed by ACF is reflected in the chart following this fact sheet.
Fifty-one jurisdictions have completed all remediation, renovation,
testing and implementation of state systems and have some programs with
services provided manually: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado,
Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii,
Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts,
Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana,
Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North
Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto
Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas,
Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington State, West Virginia, Wisconsin,
Wyoming.
California has completed all work for child care, TANF, LIHEAP and
child welfare systems. The child support enforcement systems are complete
in all counties, except for one that will be finished this week.
Guam will be providing services manually while it completes work on
its computer systems. American Samoa is currently testing its payment
system for all vendors, including child care providers. The Virgin Islands
continues to repair 3 systems while one is complete and the other program
operates manually.
Contingency Planning
ACF and its contingency planning contractor provided technical support
on the development and evaluation of state contingency plans. ACF offered
to review the business continuity and contingency plans from all 50
states, territories and the District of Columbia for the five high impact
programs. All states have completed contingency plans where needed to
assure alternative means of providing services in the unlikely occurrence
of some system problems.
Site Visits
The ACF and its independent contractors visited all 50 States, the
District of Columbia, and the territories to assess state TANF, child
support enforcement, child care and child welfare programs and LIHEAP
computer systems.
Site visits began in late May and were completed in mid-September 1999.
The assessments involved examining evidence pertaining to the agencies'
efforts to achieve Y2K compliance with automated systems, to develop
business continuity and contingency plans, and to communicate with and
involve the local offices (point of service delivery) in these plans.
The assessment protocol addressed factors such as validation and implementation
phases, end-to-end testing, risk mitigation, day one planning, management
support and sponsorship, and mission-critical external interfaces. To
ensure Y2K readiness was addressed at the service provider level, the
visits included at least two county operations in each of the 13 county-administered
states. In many states, a sample of counties was included to obtain
information and valid indicators as to the counties' Y2K readiness.
The information gathered during these visits, and the conclusions reached,
were discussed with state officials in a debriefing session. In-depth
written reports were then provided to state officials.
Other monitoring activities will be conducted with states. For example,
phone calls will be made to gauge and monitor progress in specific areas
of interest and verify that program completion status.
Results of each site visit were sent to every governor, state chief
information officer, state Y2K coordinator, and each state director
overseeing these programs. These results document ACF's key findings
and recommendations and requested the governor's leadership in assuring
that federal and state systems will work effectively after the Year
2000. The states were also provided with recommendations and other types
of technical assistance to strengthen their Y2K remediation efforts.
State System Readiness Report
Completed Remediation/Renovation/Testing & Implementation in one
or more of the ACF High Impact Programs
As of December 20, 1999
State
Child Care
TANF
LIHEAP
Child Welfare
Child Support Enforcement
Alabama
Complete
Complete
Manual
Complete
Complete
Alaska
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Arkansas
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Am. Samoa
Testing
NP
Manual
Complete
NP
Arizona
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
California
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Implementing
Colorado
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Connecticut
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Dist. of Columbia
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Delaware
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Florida
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Georgia
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Guam
Manual
Manual
NP
Manual
Manual
Hawaii
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Iowa
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Idaho
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Illinois
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Indiana
Manual
Complete
Manual
Complete
Complete
Kansas
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Kentucky
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Louisiana
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Massachusetts
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Maryland
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Maine
Complete
Complete
Manual
Complete
Complete
Michigan
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Minnesota
Local
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Missouri
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Mississippi
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Montana
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
North Carolina
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
North Dakota
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Nebraska
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
New Hampshire
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
New Jersey
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
New Mexico
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Nevada
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
New York
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Ohio
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Oklahoma
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Oregon
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Pennsylvania
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Puerto Rico
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Rhode Island
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
South Carolina
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
South Dakota
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Tennessee
Complete
Complete
Manual
Complete
Complete
Texas
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Utah
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Virgin Islands
Manual
Repairing
Manual
Complete
Repairing
Virginia
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Vermont
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Washington
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Wisconsin
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
West Virginia
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Wyoming
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete
Complete = Agency has completed renovation, future-date testing, and
implementation of the Y2K compliant automated system
Implementing = Agency is in the process of implementing the Y2K compliant
automated system.
Repairing = Agency is in the process of renovating the Y2K compliant
automated system
Testing = Agency is in the process of future-date testing the automated
system
Local = No State administered system; multiple county/local systems
at different levels of automation, remediation and testing
Manual = Agency does not use automated systems to deliver services
NP = No program is funded through ACF in that jurisdiction.
American Samoa: Testing on the territory's payment system for all vendors,
include child care providers scheduled for completion this month. Also,
the territory is working on a proposal to print checks manually if necessary.
California: Child Support Enforcement testing completed; final county
implementation scheduled for completion by 12/21/99. Installation in
major urban areas is complete.
Virgin Islands: TANF and child support enforcement testing was scheduled
to be completed 11/30/99 but no confirmation of successful testing received.
Child Care system will not be implemented until after January 1 and
alternate manual process has been put in place.
###
Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials
are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
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The page was last updated:
October 22, 2003
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