I have watched the back and forth between low-income families, service providers, counties, lawmakers and the Colorado Department of Human Services for 20 years.
A letter signed by more than 80 lawmakers and sent to Gov. John Hickenlooper earlier this month calling for leadership change in the department at first glance appears understandable given the performance issues of programs housed in CDHS.
I work on the Food Assistance Program — food stamps — and the data is grim. In February, Adams County processed about 33 percent of the most destitute families’ applications for help within federal guidelines, according to the USDA. And overall, Colorado ranks 46th in getting those eligible enrolled in food stamps.
In the for-profit world, a CEO would not last long if his company met customer needs only 33 percent of the time. The product’s end user is catered to for the purpose of sales and profit. If the product does not meet consumer needs or isn’t available at the right time at the right price, the company goes out of business.
If the corporate world is the paradigm by which we judge the leadership at CDHS, it is easy to understand why lawmakers are concerned. But it is not the corporate world, and a vital piece of the story is missing.
There has been no substantive legislative attention given to the fact that Colorado is one of only a handful of states with county-administered programs. This means that the state receives the federal dollars and is responsible for following policy, but the counties carry out the administration of benefits. This makes the state the consummate middle manager in a position of high responsibility and low authority, sandwiched between the federal government and 64 powerful counties.
Lawmakers need to ask themselves if they are willing to invest political and social capital (along with tax dollars) on behalf of those struggling the most. If the answer is “yes,” we need to retool the administration of these vital programs to include rigorous performance measures, incentives and consequences for both good and poor performance. And, if a county does not want or is unable to meet these measures, the state must be given the authority, within clear guidelines, to administer the program in lieu of the county. Poor performance should no longer be an option, at any level.
Within the food stamp program, the state is understaffed by nearly half compared to other states. How can we expect so few staff to oversee, analyze, support, regulate and improve the program? Maybe we mistake cost savings for efficiency and effectiveness.
As a result of low enrollment, grocery retailers lose more than $620 million per year in Colorado, on top of the emotional toll suffered by moms who do not know if they will be able to feed their children without the temporary lifeline of food stamps.
I ask for all of us who care deeply about our neighbors in need of CDHS services to use these recent events as a catalyst for change. I do not have a preference regarding our system being state or county administered. I simply want it done well.
We must create a shared vision that crosses party lines and a system that is accountable, responsive and transparent at every level.
The Colorado I envision ensures that no child goes to bed hungry tonight regardless of what corner of the state you live in or how your parents voted in the last election because we have created a system that is designed for Coloradans in need.
Kathy Underhill is executive director of Hunger Free Colorado, a leading anti-hunger organization.
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