As the economic recession deepens and food costs rise, now's the time to learn how to become a strategic shopper. You can save 50 to 90 percent off everyday items just by using coupons, even if you're on food stamps. DSS's Debra Bryant will show you how to stretch your shopping dollar in this video.

The Department's major divisions:

• For Families - Economic Services Division provides:   - Work First Family Assistance, Family and Children's Medicaid, NC Health Choice, Food Stamps, Refugee Assistance, Low Income Energy Assistance, and Employment Services.
• For Older Adults and People with Disabilities - Services For Adults provides:  Adult Protective Services, Representative Payee and Guardianship Services, Transportation, Congregate and Home-delivered meals, In-Home Aide Services, Community Social Work, Adult Medicaid, Adult Day Care, Adult Care Home monitoring, State County Special Assistance, Food Stamps and Just1Call.
• For Children - Youth and Family Services provides:  Child Protective Services, Foster Care, Adoption and Adoption Assistance and Independent Living Services.

Administration is the support system for the 3 major divisions.  Programs in this area include:

• Community Resources Office - Recruits volunteers and collects community donations/support.  Help the disadvantaged in Mecklenburg County by sponsoring a family during the Holiday Season, donating food to the DSS Emergency Food Bank, making children and the elderly smile with an Easter Basket or by sending a child to Summer Camp, working at Social Services.   
• Financial Services - Learn how the Department of Social Services is committed to sound finanical management.
• Fraud Investigations - Investigates and recovers overpayments in the public assistance programs.
• Human Resources - Recruits and retains qualified staff for the Department of Social Services. 
• Compliance and Quality Assurance  - Provides project management and analysis of client-focused Social Services data.

Visit each of the divisional areas above to learn more about individual program services and our major accomplishment page to learn more about our innovative approaches to service delivery.