HHS delivers more than $474 million in grants for Hurricane Sandy recovery

WASHINGTON, D.C. – March 29, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — The release of $474.5 million to help the states of Connecticut, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island in the recovery from Hurricane Sandy was announced today by Acting Assistant Secretary of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) George Sheldon. All funds will be awarded no later than Sept. 30, 2013, and states will be able to use funds through Sept. 30, 2015.

“Although communities are showing great resilience in recovering from Hurricane Sandy, there is still much to do,” said Sheldon. “We are proud to stand with the states impacted by this storm in making this investment in their recovery efforts, and we remain committed to ensuring that children affected by Hurricane Sandy continue to thrive during this next phase of the response.”

ACF deployed resources and personnel in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, with a particular focus on the needs of children and their families. ACF provided Head Start and child care experts on the ground almost immediately after the storm to assess and respond to the needs of programs serving young children.

Hurricane Sandy Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) Supplemental Funds are available for services directly related to the disaster and may include child care, child welfare services, special services for persons with disabilities, case management services, mental health services, and other services for disaster-affected populations.

The funds can support the costs of renovating, repairing, or rebuilding health care, child care, and other social services facilities that were affected by Hurricane Sandy.

Hurricane Sandy SSBG Supplemental Funds are allocated based on a formula that identifies each state’s share of Individual Assistance registrants as reported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

For more information on the SSBG, go to http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ocs/programs/ssbg.

Learn more about ACF’s efforts to help Americans recover from Hurricane Sandy.