Department Of Aging & Disability Services

The Connecticut Department of Aging & Disability Services, a U.S. state government agency headquartered in Hartford, operates as a federal grant recipient (96% of recent awards) delivering aging services, vocational rehabilitation, assistive technology, and disability support programs funded by the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, and Labor. The agency does not hold federal contracts or IDVs; it receives formula grants and project grants on a non-competitive basis under federal statutory entitlements and cooperative agreements, with no SBA certifications or set-aside posture applicable to a state government entity.

The Department of Aging & Disability Services administers a portfolio of formula grants and cooperative agreements distributed across multiple federal grant programs under the Older Americans Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and disability and employment training legislation. Representative grant work includes the Older Americans Act Title III, Part B Supportive Services program ($15.919 million, October 2025–September 2027, CFDA 93.044), delivering case management, information and referral, transportation, legal assistance, and senior center services through five regional Area Agencies on Aging as sub-recipients; the State Vocational Rehabilitation Services program ($24.771 million, October 2025–September 2026, CFDA 84.126), providing comprehensive vocational rehabilitation assessment, planning, and employment services statewide; the Older Americans Act Title III, Part C Nutrition Services program ($34.8 million combined across congregate and home-delivered meal awards, October 2025–September 2027, CFDA 93.045), funding meal provision and nutrition education through five sub-recipient area agencies; and the National Family Caregiver Support Program ($5.041 million, October 2025–September 2027, CFDA 93.052), supplying information, counseling, support groups, respite care, and supplemental services to family caregivers throughout Connecticut.

Customer concentration is heavily skewed to Administration for Community Living and Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services programs. The Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services accounts for 104 awards; the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living accounts for 85 awards; together these two customer branches represent 67% of the award count. The Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration places nine awards, primarily Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) grants funding part-time community service employment and transition to unsubsidized work for adults age 55 and older at or below 125% of the federal poverty level. A single outlier award—a $215 thousand Federal Emergency Management Agency Region 1 award—represents the only non-HHS, non-Ed, non-Labor customer of material dollar value in recent activity.

The Department receives multiple Older Americans Act formula grants distributed through its State Unit on Aging designation, including elder abuse prevention, long-term care ombudsman services, disease prevention and health promotion, and Medicare Enrollment Assistance Program (MIPPA) awards under CFDA 93.071 for health insurance counseling. The agency also holds a five-year cooperative agreement (April 2025–March 2030) administering Connecticut's State Health Insurance Assistance Program (CHOICES), which provides free Medicare counseling and enrollment assistance through a partnership with five area agencies on aging and the Center for Medicare Advocacy. A $10 million five-year Education Department project grant (October 2023–September 2028, CFDA 84.421) funds the Students in Transition Employment Partnership (STEP CT) program, which combines education, vocational rehabilitation, skills training, employment assistance, and independent living support for individuals with disabilities, with potential sub-awards to local area agencies on aging and nonprofit partners.

Activity has been consistent year over year, ranging from 21 to 28 awards annually over the past five years through 2025. Eighteen awards reach ultimate completion within the next twenty-four months, representing routine grant recompete opportunity under statutory formula allocation. The Department distributes grant funds to five sub-recipients—Western Connecticut Area Agency On Aging, Inc.; North Central Area Agency On Aging, Inc.; Eastern Connecticut Area Agency On Aging, Inc.; Agency On Aging Of South Central Connecticut, Inc.; and Southwestern Connecticut Agency On Aging, Inc.—for service delivery across most aging and nutrition programs. The agency also receives sub-awards from the Connecticut Department of Social Services and the National Council on the Aging, indicating upstream pass-through relationships within Connecticut's social services ecosystem.