Eligibility Programs

The Department of Social Services offers a wide range of programs and services to families and individuals to assist them in meeting their basic needs for food, clothing, shelter and medical care.

Children and Family

Children and Family Services provides preventive and protective services to children, adults and families in their time of need, always with the goal of keeping families intact.

Foster Care

Foster Care provides children age newborn to 21 with temporary, safe, loving homes, when their own families are unable to care for them.

Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV)

The Housing Choice Voucher Program is a lottery-based process. The dates of the lottery are announced in public notices, affordable housing websites, the DSS website and social media posts.

Adult Services

Under the Managed Care Program, clients are to receive all their home care needs by the Managed Care plan they have chosen or have been assigned.

Legal Services

The Legal Section comprises four units: Family Law, Legal, Special Investigations and Resource Recovery. Also under Legal Services is Child Support Enforcement.

Administrative Services

The Department of Social Services has several units that provide administrative, fiscal and support services to the Agency.

Information & Referral

The Rockland County Department of Social Services provides intake and assessment services for casework referrals for both Children and Adults.

Emergency Rental Assistance Program

As of 6/1/2021 tenants can apply for rental assistance to prevent housing loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Department of Social Services

Vision

Rockland County communities will enjoy an environment where individuals and families thrive, are safe, and have financial security.

Mission

Our Mission is to partner and engage with individuals, families and communities in Rockland County by providing services to protect the vulnerable, empower them to achieve and maintain self-sufficiency, provide financial assistance, safety and support; with compassion, respect and dignity.

Our Values

  • We are all one department, one team, working toward one goal: to improve the safety, financial security and well-being of individuals & families in Rockland County.
  • Honoring cultural diversity and respecting the dignity and well-being of all.
  • Acting with integrity, honesty, genuineness, compassion and objectivity with all human interactions.
  • Promoting accountability, transparency and quality in all services we deliver and programs we administer.

Programs & Services

The Rockland County Department of Social Services (DSS) offers a wide range of eligibility programs and services to families and individuals to assist them in meeting their basic needs for food, shelter and medical care. 

We also offer a broad range of support services, including services to strengthen family life, prevent family disruption, promote individual functioning and keep families together; temporary placement in foster homes, group homes or institutions; and services to help the elderly or disabled remain in their own home.

Below is a brief description of several of our eligibility and support services.  Please click on the navigation bar to the left to obtain additional information and, if applicable, application instructions. 

Eligibility Programs:

Support Services:

  • Children and Family Services provides preventive and protective services to children, adults and families.
  • Adult Services provides monitoring of home care services to Medicaid recipients.
  • Legal Services encompass many areas, including initiating Child Support orders, investigating fraud and recoupment from recipients when assets or resources are later uncovered.