Welcome

Dear OCS Grant Recipients, Community Partners, Stakeholders, and Colleagues,

I am honored to present the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF’s) Office of Community Services Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22). This report highlights our efforts to reduce the causes and consequences of poverty, increase opportunities and economic mobility for individuals and families, and revitalize communities. As the OCS director, I am continuously inspired by the people and organizations engaged in this collective work. Our shared passion and commitment have long made OCS-funded programs a vital support for the most vulnerable households across the country. I am deeply proud of the goals we have accomplished together in FY22.

In the OCS Annual Report for FY21 – our first-ever annual report – we laid the foundation for the work we hoped to build upon. I outlined four key priorities to guide all of OCS' efforts: As we take these first-ever steps, I’m consistently guided by OCS’ four priorities:

OCS Priorities

1

Ensuring the programs we administer are of the highest quality possible and reach those most in need.

2

Lifting up voices from the field and using lessons learned to be thoughtful and innovative in our approach.

3

Identifying opportunities to break down silos and implement cross-cutting initiatives within OCS, ACF, and across the federal government

4

Amplifying OCS' many connections to HHS’ and ACF’s top priorities to better support families and communities.

In FY22, we focused on implementing these key strategies. We launched a new Diaper Distribution Demonstration and Research Pilot — the first-ever federally funded program for diapers that also connects families to a robust network of community action agencies for holistic support. After launching the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) in FY21, OCS continued to work with states, tribes, and territories to implement this critical program, the first-ever federal program dedicated to providing assistance to help families maintain access to clean water and wastewater services. The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program conducted its first-ever training and technical assistance needs assessment, a comprehensive survey to understand better how we can support and equip the CSBG network with the resources necessary to perform their crucial work. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) continued to administer record amounts of funding from its regular funding, supplemental funding, and the American Rescue Plan, quickly adapting to meet the heating and cooling needs of families.

OCS, working with our partners, made tremendous strides in FY22, and this report offers highlights of the goals we accomplished together. I am profoundly proud of our achievements and excited to build on this momentum in the year ahead.

With sincere gratitude,

Dr. Lanikque Howard

Director, Office of Community Services