Most counties also provide W-2 services, but it is optional and done under contract with the state. There are several different sources of state and federal revenue allocated to the counties to carry out these services on behalf of the state. Each year, these service systems demand additional funding to address new state or federal requirements, increased consumer demands and cost of living increases that include wage and benefit increases and inflationary increases in other goods and services. It has long been the counties legal charge and mission to provide community-based services as an alternative to institutional care. Community-based care also is delivered in a multitude of different settings to diverse populations, including older adults, people with disabilities, children and young offenders.
Community care is significantly less expensive, on average, than institutional care.
Yet, institutional care is typically the first funding priority in state budgets, reducing statewide capacity for reducing institutional care. Even though some federal revenue that the state can use to support these services has increased substantially over the past decade, the state has not provided corresponding increases to counties to help fund increases in expense. That has led to notable disparities in essential services between counties and substantial increases in county tax spending over time and has not maximized the counties capability to reduce the reliance on institutional care. The WCEA recommends that the state statutes be changed to reflect the state s obligation for ensuring the Badger Birthright to citizens for human services. The state would have the statutory obligation to ensure these services are fully funded and delivered and may, if it chooses, provide the services itself.