Alison McIntyre, photo provided

From Cook County, MN - May 16, 2025

By: Alison McIntyre, Cook County Public Health and Human Services Director

The Public Health and Human Services department is one of the largest in Cook County government, both in number of staff and in overall budget. Our 36 employees and contracted service providers work together to achieve our mission of “supporting the health, safety, and wellbeing of Cook County.” The funding, mandates and local needs that impact the PHHS budget are complex and dynamic. Interested community members can learn more about department finances for year-end 2024 and as we prepare the 2026 budget at the May 20 PHHS Board meeting.

Department revenue

In 2024, all other sources of PHHS department revenue, including grants, program fees and other collections, exceeded the proportion of revenue from county tax. Human services staff working across all social services, economic assistance and health care programs participate in time studies that include point-in-time surveys and reporting of hours worked within program areas and in serving individuals and families. This data determines federal administrative reimbursement and is used for reporting and billing for the services staff provide to residents.

Across human services programs, the state Department of Human Services (DHS) and Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF) determine county allocations for state and federally funded, program-specific grants. Grant allocations are based on population and prior-year data reporting. For example, the Child Protection Grant which is designed to address statewide child welfare disparities and expand staffing and services for child protection has a $75,000 base allocation with additional funding based on the population of children in the county, the number of screened-in reports for child maltreatment and the number of open child protection cases in the county. The Partner Link Fiscal Reporting and Accounting website includes information on the over 20 grants, administered by DHS and DCYF, that support the provision of mandated human services programs in Cook County.

Within public health, the work of department staff and subcontracted service providers is supported by grants from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), primarily through the regional Carlton, Cook, Lake and St. Louis Community Health Board (CHB). Over 20 state and federal grants, administered by the CHB, provide funding for family home visiting services, infectious disease prevention, public health emergency preparedness and other foundational local public health responsibilities. Information on program areas and funding formulas can be found on the MDH website.

In recent years, our staff have continued to seek out additional federal, state and other grant funds to expand our capacity to address community-driven priorities identified in the community health assessment. The complete health assessment report can be found online at: www.co.cook.mn.us/CommunityHealthImprovementPlan. In 2024 and early 2025, department staff secured over $1.2 million dollars in new grant funding to enhance and expand services and reduce reliance on the county tax levy. 

Examples of new grant funding include the following: 

2024 Year-end financials

In 2024, PHHS department revenue received was 3% more than budgeted. Most of the Federal and State aid we receive is based on reported personnel and program expenses including wages, training, supplies, software licenses, and program materials. Unbudgeted expenses including new client record systems in Social Services resulted in higher federal reimbursement.

Overall, department expenditures were 14% more than budgeted. This was largely due to increased expense for the client record systems, adult mental health placement costs and out-of-home placement expenses for children. Adult and children’s placement expenses are the largest and most unpredictable source of mandated social service expenses across all Minnesota counties. As we have added staff to provide early intervention services and support to families, Cook County out-of-home placement expenses have dramatically decreased from the 10-year high of over $400,000 to approximately $156,000 in 2024.

2026 Budget

At the same time staff are completing year-end reporting for 2024 and quarterly reporting for 2025, we begin the budget cycle again for the next calendar year. Grant cycles vary across all public health and human services program areas. Most state allocations are released in late June and early July. We will present a first look at the 2026 PHHS department budget in July.

Our team is closely monitoring proposed cuts to state and federal funding and how this could impact local service delivery. To date, federal funding cuts to the public health system have impacted one grant that we received from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. We received notice on March 25 to cease work under this grant immediately. This grant was set to sunset in 2027 and included roughly $30,000 in remaining funds. There is a possibility that these funds will be reinstated, as they are included in a temporary restraining order issued by a federal district court. The National Council of City and County Health Officials has a toolkit to learn more on how to connect with elected officials to let them know your perspective on this issue: https://www.naccho.org/advocacy/take-action#/

Learn more about the PHHS department and hear a presentation on our 2024 year-end financials from Fiscal Supervisor, Plamen Dimitrov, at the May 20 PHHS Board Meeting at 8:30 a.m. in the Cook County Commissioners Room in the Cook County Courthouse. The meeting is available to livestream or to view a recording on the Cook County website at www.co.cook.mn.us. You can also visit our website at www.cookcountyphhs.org, contact us via email at [email protected] or find us on Facebook @CookCountyPHHS or Instagram @cook_county_phhs to learn more about our work in supporting the health, safety and wellbeing of Cook County.

County Connections is a column on timely topics and service information from your Cook County government. Cook County – Supporting Community Through Quality Public Service.