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APPENDIX A: PROFILES OF THE NCP STUDY PROGRAMS
APPENDIX B: SUMMARY OF WtW AMENDMENTS
Overview and Local Context
The Fatherhood Connection is operated by a community action agency that directly provides employment and case management services to noncustodial parents (NCPs). This program uses a variety of recruitment methods--potential program participants are referred from the child support enforcement agency and recruited directly from the community. Immediate employment is the primary goal of this program. Once the noncustodial parent is working, however, staff also focus on promoting education and training (done concurrently with work) and on addressing a range of other issues, including substance abuse or parenting issues. The Fatherhood Connection operates in Dekalb County--a large urban/suburban county that includes part of Atlanta, Georgia--and serves a primarily African American population.
Lead Agency and Key Partners
The Dekalb Economic Opportunity Authority--a nonprofit, community-based organization with extensive experience providing Head Start and employment services--provides both the employment and case management services in this program. The Dekalb County Child Support Enforcement Office plays an important role in providing referrals to the program, and the Georgia Department of Labor, the Sheriff's Department, and the Dekalb County Department of Family and Children Services have also been involved in recruitment efforts. Program staff are housed at existing community programs, including local Family Resource Centers and a housing authority.
Funding Source(s) and Enrollment
The Fatherhood Connection program is funded by a Welfare-to-Work (WtW) competitive grant. The program began operating in April 1999. As of July 2000, there were 160 fathers enrolled in the program.
Target Group
The program serves NCPs who meet the WtW eligibility criteria.
Incentives for Participation
Individuals who do not participate in program services or do not start making their child support payments when they find employment can be issued contempt citations and arrested. On the positive side, in addition to program services, the child support enforcement office provides some limited assistance on child support issues for program participants. On a case-by-case basis, the program will reinstate revoked licenses for participants if necessary. For those recruited directly by the Fatherhood Connection program, the child support office will delay the collection of child support or license suspensions for 30 days after program enrollment.
Outreach and Recruitment Strategies
The Fatherhood Connection program identifies potential program participants in two ways. First, individuals are recruited directly from the community. To assist in this effort, the program created a communication specialist position to develop and prepare recruitment materials, including a newsletter, flyers, and posters. The location case management teams in specific communities also help in recruitment. These staff are able to develop an in-depth understanding of services, events, and activities in their neighborhood and to identify potential recruitment opportunities. Other outreach strategies include: (1) a widely distributed quarterly newsletter about the program, (2) a mass mailing to all Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) mothers informing them about the program, (3) presentations to incarcerated fathers participating in a pre-release life skills program, and (4) recruiting from lists of NCPs identified by the Employment Service at the Georgia Department of Labor.
Second, the Fatherhood Connection receives a significant number of referrals from the child support enforcement agency. Noncustodial parents who have not paid child support in over 30 days are required to participate in one of two programs (or they will be sent to a court hearing). "Job-ready" NCPs are referred to a state employment program for NCPs called the Georgia Fatherhood Program. Those that are considered "hard-to-serve" (primarily those without a high school diploma) are required to participate in services at the Fatherhood Connection.
Intake and Assessment
The County Child Support Enforcement Office determines WtW eligibility for those individuals it refers to the Fatherhood Connection. Staff at the Fatherhood Connection, with assistance from child support staff, determine WtW eligibility for those recruited directly into the program.
The assessment process is intensive and covers a range of issues, including employment and education history, employment goals, family history, and potential employment barriers. Assessment includes the completion of a five-page assessment form identifying employment history and barriers, development of a three-step action plan, and the completion of a personal responsibility contract that requires the participant to establish paternity (if they have not), participate in Fatherhood Connection activities, seek employment, and develop a manageable child support plan. The Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) is administered to those who have not graduated from high school or gotten a GED.
Case Management
Each NCP in the program works with two staff members at the Fatherhood Connection. Job Coaches are responsible for all job-related assistance, including job readiness services, job placement, job retention, and working with employers. Family Advocates focus on intake and assessment and addressing other nonemployment-related issues, including substance abuse, mental health, housing, parenting, and referrals to education and training programs. There are five sets of "teams"--each of which consists of a Job Coach and a Family Advocate. Each team serves a different neighborhood in the county.
The child support enforcement agency hired a consultant who is also actively involved in working with Fatherhood Connection participants. This individual, in collaboration with the Fatherhood Connection case management teams, provides assistance on a range of employment, personal, and family issues for individuals who are referred from the child support enforcement agency.
Employment and Postemployment Services
Before beginning job search activities, participants attend a three-hour motivational, self-empowerment class that focuses on explaining program services and child support responsibilities. Following the self-empowerment class, individuals are referred directly to their Job Coach, who assists them in initiating a job search (sometimes through accessing services at the Employment Service or the Dekalb Economic Opportunity Authority) and provides referrals for employment leads.
Once individuals find a job, Job Coaches continue to remain in close contact with the individual. They usually contact the client every other week--and are required to contact them once a month to verify employment. Once they are working, in order to promote their career advancement, the Family Advocate is responsible for working with individuals to identify and enroll them in appropriate education and training programs. The program also provides transportation assistance in the form of transit passes or tokens.
Parenting and Relationship Services
The program makes referrals to peer support, parenting, and other relationship-oriented services on an as-needed basis. Overall, few participants have been using these services. A few referrals have been made to a new statewide program called "Families First," which focuses on resolving access and visitation issues.
Other Services
On an "as-needed" basis, the Fatherhood Connection makes referrals for substance abuse and mental health issues. Contact Information
Dr. Frederick Zaks
The Fatherhood Connection
3576 Covington Highway
Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 297-0068
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Overview and Local Context
The Full Employment Council (FEC) is a private, nonprofit organization created in 1986 by the merger of four local employment programs (a program for ex-offenders, a youth program, a reverse-commute urban employment program, and a nonprofit organization that operated Job Training and Partnership Act programs). As the administrator for two Service Delivery Areas (SDAs) and a provider of employment services for FUTURES (Missouri's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program), it has a long history in workforce development and a good working relationship with the state's Department of Social Services (DSS) (which includes child support enforcement). Implementation of the Welfare-to-Work (WtW) program for noncustodial parents (NCPs) challenged the agency to adapt its usual approach to recruiting program participants, its operational procedures and linkages with DSS at the state and local level, and its successful employment program (characterized by the innovative use of voucher payments to provide substantial job retention incentives to participants) for a population of clients they had not served before.
Some participants in the FEC's Concerned Parents Program (CPP) are also part of the state's Parents' Fair Share (PFS) program, which also provides assistance to NCPs in finding employment and paying child support. The program has developed creative approaches to recruit additional clients--such as the use of two "street recruiters who go where the FEC can't go." The program has several case managers for each participant and emphasizes quick job placement accompanied by self-enhancement after employment. Kansas City is an urban/suburban area, and the program serves a mix of African Americans, Hispanics, and Caucasians.
Lead Agency and Key Partners
The FEC, PFS, and DSS--particularly the Division of Children and Families and the Division of Child Support Enforcement (for eligibility and [initially] recruitment and referrals)--are the key partners in this initiative.
Funding Source(s) and Enrollment
A competitive WtW grant funds the NCP program. As of July 2000, a total of 267 participants had entered the program. Target Group
The program serves NCPs who meet the WtW eligibility criteria. No specific demographic group has been targeted, although the NCP caseload reflects the low-income population in the area.
Incentives for Participation
CPP is a voluntary program. To encourage participation, for those referred through PFS, child support collection can be delayed (though this adds to arrearages) or sanctions postponed (such as the suspension of professional, hunting and fishing, and drivers' licenses) while NCPs are participating in CPP or other education, training, and placement programs.
The employment services and financial incentives for job retention are also important incentives to encourage participation. CPP provides a job retention incentive in the form of vouchers for work-related expenses. They are available at three months (a value of $300) and nine months (a value of $1,500) for participants continuously on the same job. At the time of our visit, only one NCP had received the nine-month benchmark voucher.
Outreach and Recruitment Strategies
NCPs who are unemployed, underemployed (unable to make their full child support payments at their current wage), or have arrearages are referred to the PFS program by the Division of Child Support Enforcement. PFS then refers WtW-eligible individuals to the CPP program. Slightly less than half of the CPP participants are referred by the PFS program. PFS staff are colocated at the CPP program.
In addition to referrals through PFS, the FEC staff members also check applicants and participants in other FEC programs for WtW eligibility and make referrals to CPP when appropriate. In addition, they have just implemented a program using two street recruiters: NCPs themselves who had been clients in FEC programs and who are known in the community because they are local musicians. They "go where the FEC cannot go" to initiate contact and conversations with young men and women who may be eligible for the CPP and to extend friendly invitations to enroll in the program.
Intake and Assessment
For individuals referred through PFS, the PFS case manager is responsible for determining WtW eligibility and has usually conducted an initial assessment. Whether referred by PFS or from any other source, all individuals must complete an application for the CPP program, and CPP staff complete a one-on-one assessment covering employment and basic personal/family issues. Participants also sign a personal responsibility contract.
Case Management
The CPP uses a team of case managers. A Career Counselor (CC) at CPP addresses overall needs with attention to personal and family issues. Each participant also meets with an Employment Counselor (EC) who helps with job search, does job development, and works on retention after placement. FEC has now added a third position--a Job Matcher who provides three immediate job referrals to each participant after orientation. Participants use postcards to stay in touch, and they are asked to keep journals to discuss with their CC on a monthly basis. The CC or EC contact them regularly to check on employment and to encourage them to undertake self-enhancement activities such as education and training. Those referred to CPP by PFS also continue to work with their PFS case manager on a range of issues--which vary depending on the needs of NCP--including referrals to employment, education and training activities, parenting issues, and child support issues.
Employment and Postemployment Services
Services include job preparation, resume preparation, provision of job leads, job development, and retention follow-up, including logistical support such as help with transportation (which has represented a large expenditure for the CPP). Job preparation for the NCPs are conducted in three half-day sessions by an experienced educator and coach called a Job Success Instructor. All WtW clients are eligible for the retention incentives described earlier. CPP sometimes refers NCPs to education and training programs, and the program sometimes pays for training. CPP participants can also engage in work experience and on-the-job training, but there is not much interest in these programs among the NCPs.
Parenting and Relationship Services
NCPs can be referred by their PFS case manager or a CC to a mediation service on visitation issues, unless there is a court order banning visitation. There is one fatherhood program in the area, but only a few referrals have been made to it. Though FEC has focused on employment, some CPP and FEC staff members are exploring ways to incorporate additional services such as parenting, peer groups, and anger management.
Other Services
All NCPs have access to GED, adult basic education, and Workforce Investment Act training programs. They can also get referrals for substance abuse treatment. In addition, PFS provides additional funding for some services (the PFS program already does a fairly broad assessment, and the scope of its assessments is now expanding).
Contact Information
Clyde McQueen
President/CEO
Full Employment Council, Inc.
1720 Paseo
Kansas City MO 64108
(816) 471-2330
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Overview and Local Context
Prior to the development of the Houston Works (HW) project for noncustodial parents (NCPs), the local Office of the Attorney General (OAG) was looking for ways to improve systems for the collection of child support, to include an emphasis on prevention of arrearages, alternatives to jail, and more father-friendly approaches. When leaders of HW invited an assistant attorney general to visit one of their seven one-stop centers in Houston and to discuss applying for a WtW grant to serve NCPs, he recognized an opportunity to establish the kind of program he and a coalition of organizations had been trying to fund for several years.
Initial recruitment was slow. After the program began operating, however, the OAG and HW approached the IV-D court serving Houston and offered the judges (who hear 90 to 100 child support cases per day, four days a week) an alternative remedy to the threat of incarceration for those who could not meet their child support obligation due to unemployment: help finding and retaining jobs. They agreed to give the program a try, and today the program has forged a B link between HW, the OAG, and the courts that the assistant attorney general has been asked to replicate elsewhere in the state.
Lead Agency and Key Partners
HW, created in 1984 as staff to the Private Industry Council serving the City of Houston, operates one-stop career centers and a range of workforce development programs serving disadvantaged residents of Harris County (with a focus on the city of Houston). The OAG for the state of Texas, which operates nine Child Support Enforcement Units in the Houston area, also played a central role in the design and implementation of the partnership. In addition, the Harris County IV-D court system has played an instrumental role in the development of the project and in providing a steady source of referrals.
HW subcontracts with seven local human service agencies to provide assessment, case management, employment and training services, postplacement services, support services, and referral to a range of other services: Educational Learning and Enrichment Center; SEARCH Homeless Project; DSU Training Institute; Houston Community College; Employment and Training Centers; Goodwill Industries; and Refugee Services Alliance.
Funding Source(s) and Enrollment
The NCP program is funded by a Welfare-to-Work (WtW) competitive grant. Between the start of the grant (June 1998) and July 2000, HW had enrolled a total of 192 NCPs. The overall goal is to serve 510 NCPs through the end of the grant (June 2001).
Target Group
Program participation is limited to individuals meeting the WtW eligibility criteria, though HW is able to serve individuals referred by the courts and child support enforcement units who do not meet WtW eligibility criteria through its one-stop career centers (which provide a range of employment services for the general public). Hence, in effect, HW can provide services and meet the needs of any NCP referred--though more intensive services (e.g., training, referral to subcontractors, and a range of support services) are available for those eligible under WtW.
Incentives for Participation
Those not coming through the courts or child support enforcement units voluntarily participate in the program. The primary incentives are the employment and retention services that HW and its subcontractors provide.
The IV-D judges can court order participation in the HW program as one of the conditions with which the NCP must comply. (The individual essentially has three alternatives: payment of the delinquent child support, jail, or reporting to HW). A compliance hearing is typically held 90 days later to check to see if these conditions are met--failure to cooperate with HW and not paying child support could be sufficient reason for jailing (for up to six months).
Outreach and Recruitment Strategies
Eighteen months into the WtW grant, the outlook for success appeared bleak, with only 47 NCPs enrolled. Legislative changes in the WtW eligibility criteria and a link with the IV-D courts (facilitated by provision of an on-site desk at the court where program representatives could make immediate contact with NCPs referred to the program) substantially eased recruiting problems. In addition, HW developed effective literature and promotional materials that have been distributed throughout the community and is now also receiving reverse referrals from its seven employment services vendors. In addition, HW screens its other one-stop clients for WtW eligibility.
HW reports back to the court on whether court-ordered referrals fail to show up for the program. HW does not disclose employment or wage information to the court, however. HW makes it clear that it has no responsibility for collecting child support and wants to avoid that perception on the part of its clients.
Intake and Assessment
Procedures for enrollment in the program vary, depending on how the individual is recruited. For court-order referrals, a representative of the program is available whenever the court is in session at an office adjacent to the courtroom. This representative tries to immediately engage any individuals who have been court-ordered to HW; these individuals complete a brief information form (so HW can confirm eligibility) and are invited to the next scheduled NCP orientation session. HW is able to check eligibility directly by using the state's integrated database system, which it can access because it is a provider for the Workforce Investment Act and CHOICES (Texas's TANF work program).
When individuals are "reverse-referred" by HW vendors, vendors provide identification information that enables HW to check WtW eligibility. If individuals referred by vendors are WtW eligible, the subcontractor referring the NCP is given the go-ahead to enroll the individual in the program and begin providing services. (Those not WtW eligible may still receive services from these agencies; depending on their situation and the availability of other funds, however, the services may be more limited.)
HW participants sign personal responsibility contracts or verbally agree to them. Individual employment plans are developed by HW case managers or vendor case managers (with HW sign-off).
Case Management
When the program began, HW had trouble finding community-based organizations and nonprofits who would agree to provide services for NCPs, because many agencies did not have experience working with them and felt they were an unknown group. Therefore, HW decided to provide employment services itself, through its one-stops, for half of the planned caseload of 510.
HW employs two NCP case managers and is about to hire a third. When clients are referred to employment subcontractors, the HW case manager serves in a secondary capacity, primarily tracking progress of the NCP through the program and signing off on the service plan and changes to it. Each subcontracted agency assigns a case manager to work with an enrolled NCP. HW and the two subcontractors we visited emphasized the case manager working one-on-one with the individual, particularly in job placement, provision of support service or arranging for referral for support services, and troubleshooting problems as they arise.
Employment and Postemployment Services
Before they would agree to refer NCPs to the program, the courts wanted to make sure that those they referred could be served whether they were WtW eligible or not. Therefore, HW made a commitment to link every referral to employment services. HW could make this commitment because of the resources available in its one-stops.
HW and the two subcontractors we visited emphasize work-first approaches; these include job readiness workshops, job placement assistance, intensive case management, and support services tailored to individual needs. Postemployment services have primarily involved one-on-one case management, including contacts with employers and troubleshooting of problems as they arise.
Short-term training (less than six months) and basic skills instruction (particularly toward obtaining a GED) is made available either directly by WtW subcontracting agencies or through referral arrangements. Relatively few NCPs have been interested in pursuing training, however.
Parenting and Relationship Services
The HW program focuses on improving the economic viability of NCPs; other services and goals were seen as incidental. However, all the program partners have become more interested in incorporating resources and services to address other needs such as parenting skills. HW is trying to help a local parenting program qualify as a vendor to HW so it can refer NCPs to the program.
Other Services
HW and its vendors can and do provide referrals for substance abuse treatment or other services, as well as transportation assistance and even child care.
Contact Information
Rick Von Frank
WtW Coordinator
Houston Works
600 Jefferson, Suite 300
Houston, TX 77002
(713) 654-1919 (x1167)
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Overview and Local Context
The Institute for Responsible Fatherhood and Family Revitalization (IRFFR), headquartered in Washington, DC, received a Welfare-to-Work (WtW) competitive grant to establish grassroots responsible fatherhood programs to serve low-income, noncustodial fathers in several locations: Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Cleveland, Ohio; Nashville, Tennessee; San Diego, California; Washington, DC; and Yonkers, New York. The program provides intensive one-on-one and peer group counseling, as well as a range of other services, to help noncustodial parents (NCPs) to become involved in the lives of their children and provide financial support and security in a loving, compassionate way. IRFFR places B emphasis on intensive case management and staff role modeling. Outreach Specialists and Managing Partners--who live in the neighborhood and are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to participants--provide counseling through frequent home visits and also connect participants to needed services and employment opportunities. This site visit summary focuses on the structure of the program as it has been initiated in Milwaukee.
The Milwaukee IRFFR project serves a primarily African American clientele from low-income neighborhoods within the city. While the job market is relatively B in the Milwaukee area and unemployment at among its lowest levels in many years, pockets of unemployment and underemployment persist within the inner city.
Lead Agency and Key Partners
IRFFR, a nonprofit organization established in 1982, is the lead agency for project design, startup, and ongoing administration of this initiative. The program in Milwaukee and other cities replicates an earlier (and still ongoing) initiative mounted by IRFFR in Cleveland. In the Milwaukee site, IRFFR provides most services directly and does not have other key subcontracted partners. However, the organization coordinates with other human service agencies (including W-2 agencies), education and training providers, and employers for recruitment and referral for services or employment opportunities.
Funding Source(s) and Enrollment
IRFFR received a WtW competitive grant to design and implement the project in Milwaukee and several other locations. The Milwaukee site enrolled and served an estimated 300 individuals in the program and placed 176 in jobs in 1999. Target Group
The IRFFR project's target population is primarily low-income and disadvantaged male NCPs, most of whom live within about 15 minutes' drive time of the program office. Once the male NCP is actively engaged in the program, IRFFR seeks to involve (if possible) the custodial parent in the program.
Incentives for Participation
Participation in the program is voluntary. The IRFFR philosophy embraces the view that a father has the inner capacity to solve his own problems and the role of the program staff is to assist him through a process of self-discovery. The main incentives to participation are one-on-one counseling, group sessions, and referral to job openings and support services. Outreach and Recruitment Strategies
IRFFR Outreach Specialists recruit young fathers where they frequently gather in the community, including local stores, recreational centers, basketball courts, and playgrounds. The program office is located within the inner-city community it serves, and Outreach Specialists live within that same community. Fathers are also recruited through staff presentations at schools, churches, and other gatherings of NCPs. IRFFR also provides information about the program to staff at other agencies and programs serving the community (including W-2 agencies and the Department of Corrections) and accepts referrals from these agencies. A significant proportion of NCPs are self-referrals, who hear about the program through friends, relatives, coworkers, and others in the community.
Intake and Assessment
The IRFFR program is open entry/open exit, with the length of participation typically lasting at least six to eight months (and often longer). The NCP (once enrolled, referred to as a "protégé") decides on his own whether he wants to participate. The core service provided to all participants is a series of in-home, one-on-one counseling sessions. The initial home visits (generally conducted twice a week during the first month) focus on assessment and developing a plan outlining goals the individual would like to achieve. Outreach Specialists use an inductive counseling technique (referred to as "creative questioning"), which enables the father to take an active role in the development of personal goals and in identifying his own resources (for example, personal, family, community) to achieve them. Because there is a B belief that participants must want to make changes in their lives and that these changes must come from within participants, fathers are encouraged to be self-reliant and not depend on program staff to provide answers to questions.
Case Management
IRFFR places B emphasis on intensive case management and staff role modeling. As a condition of employment, staff members are required to model a "risk-free lifestyle" (no drugs or alcohol). IRFFR tries to hire married couples to serve as Managing Partners (program administrators) and Outreach Specialists. It is believed that program participants will emulate the married couple's behavior once they see a successful marriage modeled. Outreach Specialists provide counseling through frequent home visits and also connect participants to needed services and employment opportunities.
Employment and Postemployment Services
IRFFR provides a range of individualized employment services aimed at assisting participants to secure or upgrade employment, including help with resume preparation, job search planning, and job leads. The project maintains close links with several area employers (including UPS) for job placement. IRFFR has a staff member who provides basic instruction on the most frequently used computer software applications. IRFFR also has volunteers who come to the office to provide basic literacy instruction. After participants become employed, IRFFR continues to provide case management services and troubleshooting to guard against job loss and slipping back into destructive lifestyles.
In addition to intensive in-home counseling, IRFFR offers peer group sessions in the evening once a week. Separate sessions are held each week for males and females. Each session, which involves a facilitator and small group discussions among participants, focuses on a particular topic area, such as building self-esteem, fathering skills, health and nutrition, employment, and male/female relationship building.
Parenting and Relationship Services
The central emphasis of the IRFFR project is on reconnecting NCPs with their children and improving parenting skills. The main intervention is direct, one-on-one counseling by program staff with each participant. At the core of the project is a belief that attitude change leads to other positive consequences, such as greater involvement with children, payment of child support, paternity establishment, and long-term employment. After the NCP is engaged, the program seeks to bring in the custodial parent for individual counseling and peer support groups (separate peer support groups are held for mothers). An important goal of the program is to resolve relationship issues and disputes between the noncustodial and custodial parents, so that the NCP can become actively involved financially and emotionally with the children. IRFFR refers participants to other agencies for paternity establishment, as well as for mediation and legal assistance related to child support and visitation issues.
Other Services
IRFFR arranges for participants to receive needed support services primarily through other human service agencies in Milwaukee. The organization maintains linkages so that it can refer NCPs for housing assistance, transportation assistance, nonmedical substance abuse treatment, and other services.
Contact Information
The Institute for Responsible Fatherhood and Family Revitalization
Milwaukee Office
2451 N. 44th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53208
(414) 873-5068
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Overview and Local Context
The Noncustodial Parent-to-Work (NCPtW) Program started operating in September 1998. This NCP program grew out of Los Angeles County's Parents' Fair Share (PFS) demonstration. The program provides both pre- and postemployment services to NCPs who are have child support arrearages and who are unemployed or underemployed (working less than 25 hours per week). The program is to serve 1,000 participants over the course of the grant. The program seeks to improve the lives of children by improving parents' means of caring for them financially and by enabling NCPs to take a more active role in their children's lives.
The program serves a primarily minority clientele (approximately 55 percent Hispanic, 35 percent African American, and 10 percent other) from low-income neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles County. Although the economy has been B and the unemployment rate low, job placement and retention has been difficult due to fear of incarceration for arrearages prior to joining program and drug/alcohol use by a high number of participants.
Lead Agency and Key Partners
The lead agency is the LA County Private Industry Council (PIC), Department of Community and Senior Services (CSS). Key partners include four additional PICs in the Los Angeles area: City of Los Angeles; Long Beach; South Bay; and Carson-Lomita-Torrance. Other partners include the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS), which provides lists to CSS of General Relief participants who may be eligible for NCPtW services; the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office (the IV-D agency), which provides lists of NCPs to CSS from which CSS can recruit potential participants; the State of California Employment Development Department (EDD), and The Training Institute (TTI). EDD and TTI have contracts to provide services to program clients.
Funding Source(s) and Enrollment
The LA County PIC, CSS, received a two-and-one-half-year competitive grant in August 1998 to build on the existing Noncustodial Parent Demonstration (NCP Demo) Program in LA County and continue activities started under the PFS demonstration. Funding includes competitive and formula grants. The program is to serve 1,000 noncustodial parents over the course of the grant--750 through the five partner PICs and 250 through the five community-based organizations that have contracted with the South Bay PIC. As of June 2000, the program has served 418 NCPs.
Target Group
Eligible program participants are NCPs of children whose custodial parent is receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and has received assistance for 30 months or longer or is within 12 months of reaching the time limit on receipt of assistance. There are approximately 300,000 to 350,000 NCPs in the Los Angeles area available as potential program participants. The show-up rate among those referred has dropped from 90 to 95 percent at the beginning of the program to approximately 80 percent. Approximately 2 out of 12 new participants drop out during the pre-job search stage. There are no financial disincentives or punishments for dropping out of the program.
Incentives for Participation
Participation is voluntary. In addition to the employment and parenting services provided, participants can work with the IV-D staff to stop their arrearages from mounting while they are in the program.
Outreach and Recruitment Strategies
DPSS and the LA County District Attorney's (DA's) Office play central roles in the referral and eligibility verification process. The LA County DA's office provides lists of NCPs to CSS, from which CSS can recruit potential participants. DPSS verifies that potential program participants are indeed eligible for the program. DPSS also provides lists to CSS of General Relief participants who may be eligible for NCPtW services. Recruitment is done through public flyers and mailings, job fairs and local program sites, and some word of mouth.
Intake and Assessment
Each recruited NCP whom DPSS verifies meets the WtW eligibility criteria first goes through an NCPtW orientation lasting about two hours. At the orientation session, recruits complete standard reading and math tests, as well as a short survey about their perceptions of themselves and their relationships with their children. Recruits also complete a Baseline Information Form. Each NCP is then assigned a CSS caseworker and spends the first week in a Peer Support Group and completing additional intake, testing, and assessment forms.
Case Management
Clients have "case analysts" or "case coordinators." The case analyst or coordinator conducts an initial orientation for all potential clients. This is followed by an assessment by TTI, a private firm contracted to provide employment and case management. EDD provides job development and placement services under a contract with the program. Clients then go through pre-job search activities, which include group counseling with other NCPs and basic skills training (when needed). Clients also sign a Personal Responsibility Contract after determining their goals and needs. This is sometimes referred to as an Individual Service Strategy Plan.
Meetings called "case staffings" occur when clients miss peer support groups, miss scheduled program services, or are having difficulty with the program overall. The case staffing group includes the case analyst/coordinator, the peer group facilitator, the job developer, job club coach, and the EDD staff member who has worked with the client.
Employment and Postemployment Services
Employment services begin the first week with a Peer Support Group component, which has sessions three times a week lasting two to three hours. This component is designed to enhance self-image, help identify long- and short-term life and employment goals, and encourage responsible parenting. NCPs then attend a job club lasting seven to nine sessions. The job club is intended to develop job search skills, teach participants how to prepare resumes, improve communication and other soft skills, and increase skills in applying for and interviewing for positions. Participants have access to computers and telephones for resume writing, internet job search, and faxing during this time. For those unemployed at the end of the job club, 30 hours of independent job search per week must be verified.
Postemployment services include clothing, transportation, housing, and, possibly, other services, which may be used for up to six months past initial job placement. On-the-job training has not been used.
Parenting and Relationship Services
These services are provided primarily through the peer counseling meetings, which are open to all clients, including those who have been placed in a job. Mediation with custodial parents is provided when the NCP requests it. The program does not emphasize custody assistance.
A coparenting program brings the fathers together to learn about nonconfrontational means of communication with the mothers. There is some incentive for the fathers to attend and participate in this program, as it provides a forum for them to share their experiences with and learn from others in similar positions. An attempt has been made to bring the mothers into the program with one another, separately, and with the fathers. The mothers have much less incentive to participate in this program, however, and they generally do not.
Other Services
There is a domestic violence program, which receives separate funding from TANF and welfare funds specifically for those clients tied to welfare. The program also serves NCPtW and NCP Demo clients. Staff are trained to identify indicators of domestic violence, recognize both abusers and the abused, and refer them to outside agencies for counseling and treatment.
A drug/substance abuse treatment assistance program refers clients to treatment programs and monitors the clients while in the NCPtW program. Program staff are notified by employers when a client tests positive on a drug test on the job. The clients must go through an assessment that can lead to reentry into the program or referral to a drug assistance agency. Clients often do not return to the program.
Contact Information
Geraldo J. Rodriguez
Program Manager
Employment and Training/Special Programs
County of Los Angeles Community & Senior Services
3175 W. Sixth Street, 3rd Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90020
(213) 738-3084
Charles E. Adams
Project Manager
L.A. County Noncustodial Parent-to-Work Program
County of Los Angeles Community & Senior Services
Centro Maravilla Area Office
4718 Cesar E. Chavez Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90022
(323) 260-3861
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Overview and Local Context
LA Veterans in Progress (VIP) was established in 1993 to meet a serious service gap for homeless veterans in the Los Angeles area. Homeless veterans who successfully completed substance abuse or alcohol programs had nowhere to live and no one to provide continued support for them to reenter the world of work. A public-private partnership was formed, with a private for-profit firm owning the facility and a nonprofit organization formed to provide services to the veterans. The goals of the original VIP program are to help homeless veterans become self-sufficient and, when capable, participate fully in the labor market and achieve residential stability and continued sobriety. A component was added in April 2000 for homeless veteran fathers who required fatherhood services, as well as the labor market and social support services provided to the homeless vets already being served under the VIP program. In addition to the goals of the extant program, the fathers program is to provide participants with self-sufficiency and employment, improve their relationship and parenting skills with their children, stop the cycle of fatherlessness, and improve their payment of child support.
Lead Agency and Key Partners
LA Vets is the lead partner in the program and is responsible for operation of the program. The Veterans Administration (VA) is the largest source of support and provides about 50 percent of the funding; the VA has seven staff on-site. The LA County District Attorney's Office, the IV-D agency, works with the program to provide assistance on child support matters. The state employment security agency, the Employment Development Department, is a service provider and has staff stationed at the program to help participants find employment. The local Workforce Investment Act (WIA) program (formerly JTPA) serves as a funder and grant administrator. AmeriCorps provides a large number of volunteers.
Funding Sources and Enrollment
The fathers program receives funding from several sources. The VA is the largest source of support and provides about 50 percent of the funding. The second-largest source of support is from the LA County's Welfare-to-Work (WtW) competitive grant, which provides about 20 percent of the program's funding. (This is the same grant that provides support for the LA County noncustodial parent WtW program, but a portion of the money is transferred to the South Bay Private Industry Council which, in turn, provides the funds to LA Vets.) The third major source of funding is from the Ford Foundation's Partners for Fragile Families grant, which provides about 15 percent of the noncustodial father WtW program support. The remaining funds come from smaller grants and user fees. Participants who work are required to pay the lesser of one-third of their earnings or $50 per week for the program. The program started April 1, 2000; as of June 2000, it had 27 participants enrolled. The desired enrollment for the program is 32 participants on board and a total of about 100 served per year.
Target Group
The target group for the program is homeless, substance-abusing veteran noncustodial fathers recently released from substance abuse treatment. To be eligible for the program, the participants must have 90 days of sobriety. The program does not serve sex offenders or veterans with less than an honorable discharge from the military. The program serves veterans from the entire Los Angeles County area.
Incentives for Participation
The program is voluntary. The major incentive for participants to remain in the program is that they are homeless and jobless, and the program offers housing, three meals a day, social services, and a good prospect of obtaining a job (85 percent for the overall VIP program, with no figures available for WtW yet). Although the program is flexible on length of participation, three violations assure termination: lack of rent payment for working participants, failing a drug test, and violence or verbal abuse.
Outreach and Recruitment Strategies
The program is constantly conducting outreach activities for the WtW program and the broader VIP program. Over 90 county agencies are contacted on a regular basis, encouraging them to send eligible vets to the program. Major sources of referrals are detox centers, the welfare agency (Department of Public Social Services), prisons, and the Haven (a Salvation Army rehabilitation program). About 25 percent of those referred are believed to come in for eligibility screening. The program makes extensive use of AmeriCorps volunteers for outreach; the volunteers contact the more than 90 source agencies on a regular basis to obtain referrals.
Intake and Assessment
Upon application to the program, the potential participant is screened for eligibility. Participants must be veterans with an honorable discharge. Virtually all applicants are homeless and recovering substance abusers. During the initial interview, a job history is taken, and applicants are asked why they want to enroll and why they want a job. If accepted, they are tested for drugs and alcohol. Applicants with potential mental health problems may be asked to obtain clearance from a VA mental health official to enroll, and those who need medicine must take their medicine if they wish to remain in the program.
Before starting formal activities, participants engage in community service for 40 hours to show that they are motivated and that they are willing to work for the help and benefits they receive. During Phase 1 of the program, they receive a comprehensive assessment on their literacy level, interests, anger management, self-esteem, and other areas that might affect their needs and activities. They are also asked about their child support status at this time. Participants are asked to sign a personal responsibility contract developed by the program.
Case Management
Case managers include certified alcohol and drug counselors, as well as AmeriCorps volunteers, who generally have fewer credentials. Participants are tracked through the daily morning group meetings, where their job seeking activities are monitored, and through weekly activity forms that they fill out. The program director meets with participants who are not making satisfactory progress to provide counseling and issue warnings if needed.
Participants are managed by the director of fathers programs and other case managers. The VA has staff on-site to provide counseling and access to VA services to those in need. The primary means for tracking participants' progress are the daily meetings and the weekly self-progress forms. The program is considering using a computerized management information system to track participants through their stay.
Employment and Postemployment Services
The program includes both job search and training activities. The Career Center includes program staff, as well as an outstationed state EDD person from the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program. At the daily morning motivational and information sharing meeting, participants indicate employers they have contacted and plan to contact--participants are required to make at least five employer contacts daily. The Career Center includes job developers who identify suitable openings for the participants. Classroom training and basic skills training are provided when appropriate, and work experience is provided to some participants through the VA. Current training programs include customized training programs with Toyota and Marriott, and participants are also enrolled in culinary arts and construction programs. While enrolled in training, participants usually receive minimum wage stipends.
Once participants obtain employment, the program works with them on pursuing education and training to maintain or upgrade their job. The program also encourages participants to plan for the longer term through counseling and meetings.
Key partners in providing employment and training activities are EDD, the local JTPA/WIA one-stop, employers involved in customized training (Toyota and Marriott), and the Inglewood Adult School (which provides basic skills training). Parenting and Relationship Services
The fathers program started recently, so the parenting program is still evolving. The program offers a series of workshops and group sessions, primarily in the evenings after job search and training have been completed, to deal with life skills and relationship issues such as anger management. Currently, parenting education is covered in an informal course; the staff is concerned that the course will not meet court requirements for fathers ordered to take a course. Topics covered include relationships with the custodial parent and the child, appropriate methods of disciplining the child, and dealing with the child support system. Fathers are assisted individually with child support issues, such as dealing with restraining orders and improving access and visitation arrangements. The program does not offer formal mediation services.
Other Services
What sets this program apart from other WtW programs is that it is a residential program. Participants live on-site in dormitory-style suites. If employed, they pay the lesser of $50 per week or one-third of their earnings for housing. In addition, participants who terminate are eligible for transitional housing at the same site. The VA has people on-site who provide counseling and other VA services. Participants have medical services covered through the VA, but most of these services are provided off-site at VA facilities.
Contact Information
Steve Peck
Director
733 South Hindry
Inglewood CA, 90301
(310) 348-7600 x3106
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Overview and Local Context
The Private Industry Council (PIC) of Milwaukee County received a Welfare-to-Work (WtW) competitive grant to design and implement a collaborative project to target and serve noncustodial parents (NCPs). The program seeks to enhance employability, job retention, and capacity to pay child support. The original design for the initiative was based on the health maintenance organization model. The design called for service providers to receive a capitated amount to support and place participants in employment. The program refers NCPs to five community-based organizations for job placement, retention, training, and a wide range of support services.
Lead Agency and Key Partners
The PIC of Milwaukee has taken the lead role in project design, start-up, and ongoing administration. The PIC has contracted with five local social service agencies to provide direct client services: Human Services Triangle, Wisconsin Correctional Services, United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS), New Concepts Self Development Center, and Curtis and Associates. In addition, the PIC has contracted with five Wisconsin Works (W-2) agencies to conduct WtW eligibility determination and entry of client data into the state's automated data system: Employment Solutions of Milwaukee (affiliated with Goodwill Industries); UMOS; Opportunities Industrialization Center of Greater Milwaukee; YW Works; and Maximus.
Funding Source(s) and Enrollment
The PIC of Milwaukee received a WtW competitive grant to design and implement the program. Under the competitive grant, which initiated contracts with service providers in January 1999, a total of 261 NCPs had been enrolled and served through October 1999. The goal of the program is to serve a total of 500 NCPs (through December 2000).
Target Group
The target group for the project is NCPs meeting the WtW eligibility criteria. However, each of the subcontractors targets services to specific NCP subpopulations: UMOS targets Latino NCPs; the Wisconsin Correctional Services targets NCPs with criminal justice histories; New Concepts primarily targets African American NCPs with family and mental health issues; and the Human Services Triangle targets NCPs with mental illness or substance abuse issues.
Incentives for Participation
The main incentives for participation are the wide range of employment, training, education, and support services available to each participant. Participation in the program is generally voluntary, though some NCPs are referred to the program through courts (and the Children First initiative), in which case participation is usually mandatory.
Outreach and Recruitment Strategies
Referrals to the program come from a variety of sources, including the Family Courts, the Children First initiative, W-2 agencies, and the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. A Childrens First/WtW Coordinator at the W-2 offices identifies NCPs that could potentially benefit from the various employment, training, and support services available through the initiative and makes referrals to subcontractors. In addition, the five subcontracting agencies conduct some of their own outreach and recruitment activities, including placing advertisements in local media and conducting recruitment at community gatherings. The state's child support enforcement office made lists of NCPs available to the five subcontracting agencies to facilitate their recruitment activities. One subcontractor (UMOS) indicated that it had hired a full-time outreach staff person to identify and recruit NCPs and was also advertising the availability of its services for NCPs on television and radio and in newspapers.
Intake and Assessment
The five W-2 agencies serving Milwaukee conduct eligibility determination under the project. Each of these agencies has a small contract to determine eligibility of NCPs for the subcontracting agencies (except for UMOS, which is a W-2 agency) and to enter data on NCPs enrolled under the competitive WtW grant into the state's CARES system. Once the NCP is determined eligible, the subcontracting agency is responsible for conducting an initial assessment and assigning a case manager to each NCP. Though assessment procedures vary across subcontracting agencies, in general, an agency case manager conducts a one-on-one interview with the participant aimed at developing an individual service plan, including collecting information on participant/family background characteristics, vocational interests and preferences, health status (including substance abuse issues), work history and skills, intellectual capabilities/aptitudes, reading/math skill levels, interpersonal/communication skills, and other factors affecting employability and parenting skills. Based on this assessment, the case manager is responsible for developing an individual service plan summarizing personal and vocational goals, identifying employability issues/barriers to success, and recommending specific services to achieve employment and parenting goals.
Case Management
Each subcontractor is responsible for assigning NCPs to a case manager responsible for coordinating individualized services to achieve a set of planned outcomes (generally centering on employment, job retention, and payment of child support). The case manager is responsible for planning and arranging services and closely tracking participant involvement in the program.
Employment and Postemployment Services
The services provided through the subcontracting agencies have a clear work-first focus--emphasizing job placement, job retention, and wage enhancement--particularly at the time the individual enters the program. The initial goal is full-time or part-time work at any wage. The program also emphasizes NCPs working so that they can meet their child support obligations. Each subcontracted agency has considerable flexibility to develop its own program strategies, and each of the five agencies has its own special focus. The five subcontracting agencies are permitted to subcontract services to other community-based organizations.
The target population is primarily interested in services that facilitate job placement. Hence, there is a B emphasis on providing job readiness and placement assistance (including job readiness workshops, help with resume preparation and interview skills, and help with job leads). For example, one of the five subcontracted agencies--Curtis and Associates--receives a benchmark payment of $4,800 for each NCP it serves but is placed at risk for job placement and retention. If the agency is able to quickly place the individual into employment and retain them in employment after 30 days, the agency makes money. If the agency is unable to find employment for the individual, however, it must place the participant in a community service job and pay the participant minimum wage (until the participant is placed in an unsubsidized job).
After participants are placed in jobs and paying child support, the service providers are to focus program services on occupational skills training. Each vendor is required to offer one or more employer-linked occupational skills training program for NCPs (for example, through the Milwaukee Area Technical College). With job retention and upgrading posing major challenges for many NCPs, the five subcontracting agencies provide an array of postemployment services, including frequent employer and client contacts, provision of support services, and assistance with upgrading basic and job-specific skills to enhance employability.
Parenting and Relationship Services
The main focus of the initiative is on employment, though subcontracting agencies are encouraged to provide services that will help improve parenting. To improve parenting skills, case managers are expected to provide informal support, guidance, and direction to NCPs regarding parenting concerns and challenges. In addition, under the competitive grant, the PIC has contracted with Legal Action of Wisconsin so that WtW-contracted agencies can make referrals of NCPs for services. Some of the legal issues that Legal Action of Wisconsin can provide assistance on are driver's license revocations, evictions and housing matters, child support, custody issues, visitation, family violence, restitution, probation violations, correction of criminal records, and consumer debt problems.
Other Services
The five subcontracting agencies provide (directly or through referral arrangements with other agencies) a range of support services to assist participants in obtaining and keeping jobs and paying child support. These services include transportation assistance (for example, car repairs and transportation vouchers), referral for nonmedical substance abuse counseling/treatment, provision of work-related clothes and equipment, and referral to a wide array of legal services (related to child support and visitation issues).
Contact Information
Delores Parr
PIC of Milwaukee County
101 W. Pleasant St., Suite 200
Milwaukee, WI 53212
(414) 225-2360
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Overview and Local Context
The Minneapolis FATHER Project was developed through a B collaboration between the city's Private Industry Council (PIC), child support agency, and several community-based organizations. This program, operating in a locality that has developed an array of fatherhood programs, was initially developed and funded under the Ford Foundation's Partners for Fragile Families (PFF) initiative. The FATHER Project subsequently applied for and received a WtW competitive grant to enhance the employment services provided through the program. The FATHER Project is committed to providing a holistic set of program services focusing on parenting, fatherhood, and family issues, as well as on employment. With ongoing communication and assistance from local child support staff, it also provides assistance with child support issues and payment options for participants and views this as a critical component of the program. The FATHER Project is a voluntary program, and participants are recruited through a range of community outreach efforts. It serves a primarily African American clientele from low-income neighborhoods in Hennepin County (which includes the city of Minneapolis). Lead Agency and Key Partners
Way-to-Grow (WTG), a nonprofit community-based organization, is the lead agency for the Minneapolis FATHER Project. WTG also assists single mothers with child development and parenting for pre-schoolage children, housing, and medical issues; it was selected as the lead agency because the services for NCPs were seen as complementary to those provided to custodial mothers. The Welfare-to-Work (WtW) grantee--the Minneapolis Employment and Training Program (METP, the Minneapolis Workforce Board)--provides employment services for the program through contracts with eight community-based organizations. The Hennepin County Collection Services Division (HCCSD) conducts eligibility determinations and offers a wide range of child support modifications for program participants.
Funding Source(s) and Enrollment
The FATHER Project is funded by a WtW competitive grant, a grant from the Ford Foundation, and federal child support dollars (provided as a match to Ford Foundation funds as part an approved waiver program). The program began operating in January 1999; as of May 2000, the program had enrolled approximately 100 individuals.
Target Group
The program initially served NCPs who met the WtW eligibility criteria and who also had a child support order in place in Hennepin County. More recently, since it has received funds from the Ford Foundation, it is recruiting the target group for this program--young fathers (ages 16 to 25) with no child support orders (but who also meet the WtW eligibility criteria). Incentives for Participation
Participation in the FATHER Project is voluntary. The program offers a wide range of assistance on child support issues, as well as comprehensive set of services to encourage program participation. Child support incentives offered include delays in setting child support orders for 90 days after a participant finds a job, modifying child support orders to reflect fluctuating income, gradually increasing orders to enable the NCP to become accustomed to paying child support, establishing paternity at no cost, waiving the payment of birthing expenses, stopping interest on arrearage payments, and lifting penalties for nonpayment (such as license suspensions, passport denials, and student grant holds).
Outreach and Recruitment Strategies
The FATHER Project recruits potential program participants directly from the community and uses a number of strategies to identify potential participants. Recruitment was initially difficult, and significant staff time and resources were dedicated to this effort. Flyers, posters, and other materials on the program are distributed to a range of agencies, including job banks, prenatal clinics, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) agencies, the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, the child support office, family courts, the corrections department, and community-based organizations. Staff also make presentations at a number of these programs, and WTG sponsored a large community picnic to promote the program. Ads are placed in local newspapers and on radio stations frequently used by the target group. Finally, the program initially used "reverse referrals" by providing financial incentives to employment service contractors for recruiting eligible NCPs. Gradually, the program has built a reputation for helping fathers, and the participating agencies feel that word-of-mouth is spreading in the communities they are targeting.
Intake and Assessment
NCPs who learn about the program through recruitment efforts call WTG. An initial phone screen is conducted to determine if the NCP appears to be eligible. An eligible NCP is scheduled for a meeting to complete an eligibility form. This is faxed to HCCSD to verify eligibility (TANF and status of child support payments).
Those who are eligible for the program meet with a WTG case manager for an assessment. Assessment is done through a one-on-one meeting with the case manager. The assessment process is intensive and covers a range of issues, including employment and education history, employment goals, family history, and potential employment barriers.
The individual is referred to an employment counselor at one of the contracted employment service providers (the provider is generally selected based on participant convenience). In the initial meeting with the employment counselor, the individual signs a personal responsibility contract that details the NCPs responsibilities in the program. These include participating in WTG parenting services by attending all scheduled activities, cooperating with Hennepin County child support and collections, maintaining employment (if applicable), monthly contact with job counselors, and job search activities.
Case Management
The FATHER Project provides intensive case management services, with staff at two organizations providing assistance to each program participant. First, employment counselors at the employment service providers are responsible for all job-related assistance, including job readiness services, job placement, job retention, referrals to education and training, and working with employers. Second, case managers at WTG are responsible for intake and assessment and assistance with a range of other issues that may affect an individual's ability to participate or become employed and pay child support, including parenting and family problems or other personal issues, such as substance abuse. WTG case managers and program participants also work with HCCSD staff to make child support payment options available to participants.
Employment and Postemployment Services
Employment services for NCPs are provided by eight community-based organizations under performance-based contracts with METP. Specific services vary by provider, but there is a B focus on immediate employment. Services provided include job placement, job readiness, job search assistance (job leads and resume writing), and job development. Education, training, and on-the-job training programs are available, but few NCPs use these options because most have an interest in finding jobs quickly. Staff at both the employment service provider and WTG maintain close contact with an individual after they begin working to address retention issues. Some employment service providers worked closely with employers to identify appropriate jobs for their participants and to resolve issues that arise once the NCP starts working.
Parenting and Relationship Services
The FATHER Project has a B emphasis on parenting services. Peer support/parenting groups are provided by WTG twice a week using a curriculum developed for the PFF demonstration. WTG case managers also address parenting issues in their contacts with NCPs and hold a monthly father-child or family event each month for those who want to participate. Referrals are made for mediation services if necessary, although few NCPs have used these services.
WTG employs a part-time staff person to assist NCPs on legal issues concerning visitation and custody. This includes the operation of a law clinic where 14 volunteer attorneys provide general advice on these issues--including how to represent yourself without the assistance of an attorney.
Other Services
Referrals are made to outside organizations for a range of services, including anger management, substance abuse, and mentoring, on an as-needed basis. Few NCPs have used these services. WtW funds are also available to meet short-term emergencies or needs.
Contact Information
Deb Bahr-Helgen
Welfare-to-Work Program
Minneapolis Employment and Training Program
250 South 4th Street, Room 510
Minneapolis, MN 55415-1372
(612) 673-3938
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Overview and Program Context
This program focuses on enhancing employment outcomes, self-sufficiency, and payment of child support for noncustodial parents (NCPs) located in a four-county area of the southern half of Nevada (with most participants located in Las Vegas). Although the two main contractors--Nevada Partners, Inc. and Services Project 2000--have considerable flexibility in how they structure their programs, the main focus is on getting participants into a job, having them retain employment, and, if possible, enhancing possibilities for increased earnings. Parenting skills are not a focus of this initiative, though one of the two service providers includes several workshop sessions (as part of its job readiness course) devoted to parental responsibilities.
Lead Agency and Key Partners
There are several key partners in this project. The main organization providing funding and overseeing the effort is Nevada Business Services (NBS), which is the workforce investment board serving a four-county area of southern Nevada. NBS, a nonprofit agency located in Las Vegas, has contracted with two nonprofit organizations to provide services under the Welfare-to-Work (WtW) program for noncustodial parents (NCPs): Nevada Partners, Inc., and Services Project 2000 (formerly known as Camino Al Futuro). A third organization--Clark County Social Services--was also contracted under the WtW-NCP project, but after one year withdrew as a provider because of low referral activity. NSB receives WtW formula funds from the state and is primarily responsible for selecting contractors; broadly defining the scope of work and contractor goals for enrollment, job placement, and retention; overseeing contractor performance; and providing technical assistance. The other partner in the project is the Nevada State Welfare Division (NSWD) of the state's Department of Human Resources. NSWD is primarily responsible for referral of NCPs to the program and for WtW eligibility certification of individuals "reverse referred" by the two WtW contractors.
Funding Source(s) and Enrollment Levels
This project is funded using WtW formula funds. NBS (as the workforce development agency) has received two allocations of WtW funds from the state: (1) a PY 1998-1999 allocation of $2.47 million, and (2) a PY 2000-2002 allocation of $2.3 million. As of the end of June 2000, only the first allocation had been contracted; no funds under the second allocation had been contracted out to services providers. As of June 30, 2000, a total of 104 NCPs had been referred for services to the WtW contractors; a total of 70 of these NCP had received services beyond initial assessment. The overall goal is to provide services for a total of 113 NCPs over the two-and-a-half-year period of the grant.
Target Group
The overall target group for the program is NCPs meeting the WtW eligibility criteria. Nevada Partners serves nearly all male NCPs (over 90 percent are male), mostly African American males in their 30s and 40s. About half of these NCPs are ex-offenders; many are substantially in arrears on their child support payments (in excess of $50,000).
Project Services 2000 further limits participation to female NCP offenders soon to be released (within the six months) from the South Nevada Women's Correctional Facility (a minimum and maximum security prison, with 560 female inmates), two-thirds of whom are African American and most of whom are in their 20s. Project Services 2000 limits intensive services to this prison facility, though provides job placement assistance to a small number of WtW-eligible NCPs referred directly by NBS. Project Services 2000 is also considering expanding its program to a men's facility (the Indian Springs Correctional Facility) but plans to do so under the second funding allocation.
Incentives for Participation
The program is voluntary, and program administrators try to emphasize that the program will help the NCP in several important ways--enhance long-term employability, build job-seeking skills, enhance basic and job specific skills, help the individual to avoid jail, provide assistance with modifying child support payments, and provide help with increasing visitation.
Outreach and Recruitment Strategies
The recruitment approach for the program has shifted over time to rely primarily upon "reverse referrals"--NCPs who are first identified by contractors and later certified by NBS (and the NSWD) as WtW-eligible. In addition, small numbers of individuals are still being referred through NSWD to the program. The main way that the contracting agencies have obtained referrals is by identifying NCPs on their own and then checking with NBS as to whether the individuals identified are WtW eligible. Nevada Partners receives some referrals of WtW-eligible NCPs directly from NBS. However, most referrals come through reverse referrals, whereby the agency identifies potentially eligible NCPs. Nevada Partners conducts an orientation session at its own facility three times a week for the general public and individuals referred by other agencies.
The Services Project 2000 directly recruits offenders during the two weeks prior to running its eight-week Vital Skills workshop. Prison personnel place brochures about the program throughout the prison facility, notifying prisoners of the startup of a new session.
Intake and Assessment
Both of the contractors provide a brief, up-front assessment and intensive, ongoing case management services. Once WtW-eligibility is certified though NBS, Nevada Partners schedules the NCP for a one-on-one interview. During this interview, information is collected from the individual that is used to develop an individual service strategy (ISS). No formal tests (for example, the Test of Adult Basic Education, interest inventories, or drug/alcohol tests) are conducted as part of the assessment. The ISS is submitted to NBS at the end of the assessment, and, at this point, the NCP is considered enrolled in the program.
Services Project 2000 conducts assessment activities as part of its initial activities in the eight-week Vital Skills Project Workshop. On the first day of the workshop, a general orientation is provided, followed by assessment and completion of ISS. The assessment involves a one-on-one interview with one of the two workshop facilitators. The project receives considerable background information on each participant from the prison. The ISS is completed during this one-on-one interview, which generates additional background information. In addition, the participant completes a questionnaire that probes drug/alcohol abuse issues. The ISS is submitted to NBS at the end of the assessment, and, at this point, the NCP is considered enrolled in the program.
Case Management
Both contractors emphasize case management services tailored to individual needs of the participant. Both programs assign a case manager to each enrolled NCP, who monitors progress and troubleshoots problems, helps with job upgrading and retention, and arranges for support services. Services Project 2000 features intensive case management--its case managers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, once the individual is released from prison. Both programs indicated that they accompanied participants to child support enforcement hearings.
Employment and Postemployment Services
Employment and postemployment services for NCPs are provided by the two contracted agencies. Both providers emphasize work first approaches, which include a job readiness workshop, job placement assistance, intensive case management, and support services tailored to individual needs.
Nevada Partners divides participating NCPs into two basic groups after assessment--those who are immediately job ready (a relatively small proportion of NCPs) and those who are not job ready. Those who are job ready attend a four-hour job readiness workshop and then are immediately engaged in job search activities (with considerable help from an agency case manager in identifying job openings). The job readiness workshop primarily focuses on effective job search strategies, development of a resume, and interview skills. An agency case manager regularly meets with the individual to gauge progress, troubleshoot problems, arrange for support services, and provide encouragement and job leads. The agency helps to match each client's skills with potential employer openings.
Those NCPs who are not immediately job ready (the majority of participants) are enrolled in two-week job readiness workshop operated by Nevada Partners, called Career Quest. NCPs enrolled in the project are mixed in with other disadvantaged individuals (both male and female, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families [TANF] and non-TANF recipients) to form a workshop group of between 10 and 15 individuals. The employability skills workshop, led by a Nevada Partners instructor each morning, includes sessions on goal setting, building self-esteem, managing conflict, effective job search strategies, resume preparation, interviewing, and employers' expectations. At the conclusion of this workshop, participants work closely with a case manager and engage in intensive job search activities (see above discussion for those who are job ready).
Nevada Partners maintains close relationships with local employers, particularly those within the hotel/gaming industry. For example, individuals interested in entering careers at local hotels and in restaurants can be referred to the Culinary Union Training Center. This training center, formed by the Las Vegas hotels and the Culinary Union, offers classes for people who want to work in a hotel but do not have the required job skills or work experience.
Project Services 2000's NCP program's main intervention is an eight-week, 32-session Vital Skills Project Workshop. This workshop follows a curriculum designed by the Life Skills Foundation, Inc., located in Tampa, Florida. Each participant receives a workbook (over 200 pages long) divided into a series of 15 lessons. Workshop sessions, which are facilitated by two Project Services 2000 instructors, focus on life skills, self-esteem, anger management, effective communication, and motivation. There are also sessions on family success and relationships, as well as on getting and keeping a job. Sessions require active involvement of participants and a willingness to change. At the end of the eight-week session, participants are given a "diploma of life" at a special ceremony.
This workshop is followed up by weekly peer group sessions until the individual is released from prison. As the release time approaches, Project Services 2000 program staff provide assistance with identifying job leads and intensive case management. Project staff have extensive contacts with local employers. (These include employers in the hotel and gaming industry; however, most ex-offenders face constraints on the types of jobs that they may take within the gaming industry, especially if the individual must handle money.) After an individual is employed, the assigned case manager is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to troubleshoot problems and arrange for services.
Parenting and Relationship Services
As part of the Life Skills Workshops run by Services Project 2000, 3 of the 15 modules in the curriculum focus on family: "Family Success," "Family Relationships," and "Inter-Family Understanding and Communication." Both projects can refer individuals for legal or mediation services. On occasion, case managers will accompany individuals to child support court hearings to provide testimony of the level of participation of individuals in programs.
Other Services
Both service providers under the project provide an extensive array of support services, either directly or through referral arrangements. These services include transportation assistance, including bus passes, and help with car repairs; clothing, including payment at discount stores and secondhand stores for work clothing; referral for substance abuse counseling and treatment; and referral to mediation and legal services for child support and visitation.
Contact Information
Richard Blue, Executive Director
Nevada Business Services
920 West Owens
Las Vegas, NV 89106
(702) 638-8750
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Overview and Local Context
The Wisconsin Department of Corrections (DOC) received a three-year grant from the Governor's Welfare-to-Work (WtW) 15 Percent Discretionary funds to design and implement the Non-Traditional Opportunities for Work (NOW) Program in Milwaukee County. The NOW program--which targets noncustodial parents (NCPs) on probation or parole--is closely connected with the Wisconsin Works (W-2) system, with most employment, training, and support services under the program being provided through five W-2 agencies (at their 13 job centers in Milwaukee County). The program seeks to enhance employability, job retention, and capacity to pay child support, as well as to reconnect noncustodial fathers coming out of prison with their children.
Like many prison systems across the country, Milwaukee's prisons are crowded. As a result, probation and parole agents have large caseloads, which leaves little time available to each assigned case. The NOW Project offers additional services to complement those available through the correctional system, with a special focus on employment, job retention, and support services. Because of a relatively tight labor market, current conditions for finding a job for ex-offenders are as good as they have been in a long time--yet ex-offenders face significant hurdles and biases when seeking and trying to hold jobs.
Lead Agency and Key Partners
The Wisconsin DOC's Division of Community Correction has taken the lead role in project design, start-up, and ongoing administration of NOW. DOC has assigned ten probation and parole agents (NOW agents) to case manage NOW participants throughout their involvement in the program. The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD), which has overall responsibility for administration of employment, training, and welfare programs in the state (including welfare reform and the JTPA program), assisted with the design of the initiative and determines WtW eligibility for potential NOW participants. DOC contracts with five Wisconsin Works (W-2) agencies to provide case management, employment, training, parenting, and other support services for NOW participants. The five W-2 agencies are Employment Solutions of Milwaukee (affiliated with Goodwill Industries); United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS); Opportunities Industrialization Center of Greater Milwaukee; YW Works; and Maximus.
Funding Source(s) and Enrollment
The Wisconsin DOC received a three-year grant from the Governor's WtW 15 Percent Discretionary funds to design and implement the NOW Program in Milwaukee County. The Governor's discretionary funds are being matched by DOC. The program began enrolling its first participants in April 1999; through June 2000, the program had enrolled and served a total of 130 NCPs.
Target Group
NOW targets NCPs on probation or parole or who are soon-to-be-released inmates of minimum security correctional facilities. While initially the program planned to serve only noncustodial fathers, enrollment in the program was recently extended to noncustodial mothers on probation or parole (though few have been served to date). NOW targets only those NCPs who are still subject to DOC field supervision and will be subject to supervision long enough to allow them to complete the NOW program while still under supervision. NOW excludes NCPs if participation in the program poses a threat to the custodial parent or other family members (for example, domestic violence offenders are excluded unless the custodial parent is aware of and agrees to the NCP's participation in the program).
Incentives for Participation
The main incentives for participation are the wide range of employment, training, education, and support services that are made available to each participant. NOW participation is voluntary, though once enrolled in the program participation in NOW activities becomes mandatory (a condition of probation or parole). Despite being "mandatory," it is unlikely that a NOW participant would have his or her probation or parole revoked solely on the basis of noncompliance with the NOW program (it would take some other violation of the conditions of parole or probation, such as a new offense for re-imprisonment).
Outreach and Recruitment Strategies
The NOW program recruits most NCPs through direct referrals by regular DOC probation and parole agents. DOC probation and parole agents (estimated at about 350 agents in Milwaukee County) are asked to identify from their caseloads individuals who potentially meet the WtW eligibility criteria and would likely benefit from participating in the program. When recruitment lagged during the early stages of the program, DOC introduced several new strategies to spur recruitment. These include: (1) introducing NOW at orientation sessions for new probationers/parolees, (2) reviewing the caseloads of each agent and identifying individuals who are NCPs and WtW-eligible based on data provided by DWD, (3) placing additional posters about the program in the DOC facilities, (4) encouraging W-2 agencies to recruit ex-offenders and qualify them for NOW participation ("reverse referrals"), and (5) increasing awareness of parole and probation agents about services available through NOW.
Intake and Assessment
Once potential NOW participants are identified, probation and parole agents complete and forward a referral form to the NOW project coordinator. The NOW project coordinator compiles a list of referred NCPs and sends the list to DWD for WtW eligibility determination. While WtW eligibility is being checked by DWD, the recruit is scheduled for and takes the Test of Adult Basic Education. NCPs determined to be WtW-eligible are re-assigned to the caseload of one of 10 probation and parole agents who are specially assigned by DOC to serve as NOW probation and parole agents (also referred to as NOW case managers).
Once eligibility for WtW is determined, the NOW probation and parole agent refers WtW-eligible NCPs to one of the five W-2 agencies (based on a geographic match of the participant with a W-2 agency). W-2 agency staff conducts an initial intake interview and enrolls the individual with the agency. The individual becomes officially enrolled in the NOW program when the W-2 agency enters case information into the state's CARES data system. Though assessment procedures vary across W-2 agencies, in general, a W-2 case manager conducts a one-on-one interview with the participant aimed at developing an individual service plan. The interview includes collecting information on participant/family background characteristics, vocational interests and preferences, health status (including substance abuse issues), work history and skills, intellectual capabilities/aptitudes, reading/math skill levels, interpersonal/communication skills, and other factors affecting employability and parenting skills. Based on this assessment, the W-2 case manager is responsible for developing an individual service plan summarizing personal and vocational goals, identifying employability issues/barriers to success, and recommending specific services to achieve employment and parenting goals.
Case Management
Each NOW participant has two case managers--a DOC/NOW parole and probation agent and a W-2 agency case manager. The DOC/NOW parole and probation agent retains final decision-making authority on services provided and sanctioning of the participant (revocation of probation or parole status, as well as other sanctions). W-2 agencies assign each incoming participant to a W-2 case manager or counselor, who is responsible for planning and arranging services and closely tracking participant involvement in the NOW program. The DOC/NOW probation and parole agent and the W-2 case manager negotiate and reach agreement on the service plan and subsequent changes in the plan. The W-2 and DOC/NOW case managers typically talk at least weekly about the progress of each NOW participant and work together to ensure that NOW participants receive the services needed to make a successful transition back to their communities.
Employment and Postemployment Services
The services provided through the W-2 agencies have a clear work first focus--emphasizing job placement, job retention, and wage enhancement--particularly at the time the individual enters the program. Services closely parallel those being provided for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients under other welfare reform programs administered by the W-2 agencies. Each W-2 agency has considerable flexibility to develop its own program strategies, so there is some variation across agencies in the types of employment and postemployment services provided to NOW participants. The target population, most of whom have recently been released from prison, is primarily interested in services that facilitate job placement. Hence, there is a B emphasis among all W-2 agencies on providing job readiness and placement assistance (including job readiness workshops, help with resume preparation and interview skills, and help with job leads). Although in less demand by the target population, W-2 agencies also make available (as appropriate) short-term, career-focused job skills training (for example, through the Wisconsin Technical College Systems and the University of Wisconsin-Extension Program). W-2 agencies also provide basic computer skills training and referral to basic education and remediation programs (for example, area literacy councils, Even Start Family Literacy Programs). W-2 agencies have links with the employer community for subsidized jobs and on-the-job training opportunities. W-2 agencies can also refer participants back to DOC for work experience opportunities under DOC's Community Corrections Employment Program or the Wisconsin Conservation Corps program. With job retention and upgrading posing major challenges for many ex-offenders, W-2 agencies provide an array of postemployment services, including frequent employer and client contacts (especially to troubleshoot problems before they lead to job loss), provision of ongoing support services (such as help with car repair and bus tickets), and assistance with upgrading basic and job-specific skills to enhance employability (e.g., basic education, English as a Second Language, and occupational skills training).
Parenting and Relationship Services
Two of the five W-2 agencies have implemented parenting/fatherhood program components, and the other W-2 agencies are planning or implementing these components. Employment Solutions offers a comprehensive, 26-session parenting/fatherhood workshop for NOW participants (using a formal curriculum entitled Fatherhood Development: A Curriculum for Young Fathers). Workshop sessions cover topics such as values, manhood, understanding the child support system, understanding children's needs, coping as a single father, male/female relationships, men's health, and substance abuse issues. UMOS also offers a ten-session workshop, entitled "Survival Skills for Men." The small-group workshop sessions (three hours each, held twice a week) cover topics such as budgeting, parenting, health, grooming/dressing, and a range of other topics.
Other Services
W-2 agencies provide (directly or through referral arrangements with other agencies) a range of support services to assist participants in obtaining and keeping jobs and making the transition from incarceration. These services include transportation assistance (for example, car repairs and transportation vouchers), referral for nonmedical substance abuse counseling/treatment, provision of work-related clothes and equipment, and referral to legal services (related to child support and visitation issues). The specific services provided depend upon participant needs.
Contact Information
Ms. Margaret Browder
Field Supervisor and Coordinator
State of Wisconsin Department of Corrections
Division of Community Corrections
1819 E. Kenilworth Place
Milwaukee, WI 53202-1119
(414) 227-4399
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Overview and Local Context
The Support Has A Rewarding Effect (SHARE) project was developed through a B collaboration between the local workforce council, the child support agency, the Prosecuting Attorney's (PA's) office, and several community-based organizations. Developed as a direct result of the Welfare-to-Work (WtW) grants program, the SHARE program is one component in Yakima's larger WtW program. The SHARE program features a B role for both the child support agency and the PA's office. Referrals to SHARE are initiated by the child support office, which identifies individuals who are behind in child support payments. Eligible cases are referred by the child support agency to the PA's office to initiate contempt proceedings--individuals who are unemployed can choose to participate in SHARE instead of facing incarceration. The goal of SHARE is for the noncustodial parent (NCP) to begin, resume and/or increase child support payments, encourage parental responsibility, and strengthen families.
Lead Agency and Key Partners
The WtW grantee--the Tri-County Workforce Development Council--played a lead role in establishing the collaboration and overseeing program development and implementation. The Division of Child Support at the Department of Social and Health Services is responsible for identifying potential program participants and referring them to the PA's office. Because of its experience in working with disadvantaged adults and a WtW service provider, People for People (PFP), a nonprofit community-based organization was selected as the primary provider of the employment services. PFP contracts with the workforce council to provide employment services to all types of WtW participants (including NCPs) in five locations.
SHARE is funded primarily through WtW formula funds. SHARE has now expanded it's partnership to include other funding sources to support the NCPs. Through WtW competitive grants awarded to Youthbuild USA and the Washington State Labor Council, services to NCPs are provided by programs operated by the Yakima Valley Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC) and the Center for Administering Rehabilitation and Employment Services (IAM CARES), a nonprofit organization, respectively. Finally, state WtW match dollars are used to provide services to the NCPs through the AmeriCorps program. OIC and the AmeriCorps program specialize in serving young NCPs, and IAM CARES focuses on those with substance abuse problems.
Funding Source(s) and Enrollment
As described above, the SHARE program is funded by both WtW formula dollars, WtW competitive grants and state match funds. The program began operating in late August 1998; as of September 2000, the program had enrolled approximately 185 participants (100 at PFP, 50 at IAMCARES, 25 at OIC, and 10 at AmeriCorps).
Target Group
The program serves NCPs who meet the WtW eligibility criteria, are behind in their child support payments or are having difficulty making payments, and reside in Yakima or Kittitas counties covered by the WtW grant. The NCPs must also meet the criteria for a contempt hearing: having a support order, failure to comply with the order, and a history of nonpayment. Incentives for Participation
SHARE is a mandatory program. Eligible NCPs who cannot find work and cannot pay child support must participate in program services, or they will be referred for incarceration. In addition to program services, the program has important child support payment options to encourage participation: (1) payment agreements for less than the current amount for a temporary period, (2) reestablishing inaccurate default orders, and (3) the possibility of waiving arrears owed to the state. When the NCP begins working, the PA's office is notified and they may modify existing orders to ensure payment requirements are reasonable and may modify payments required to address arrearages.
Outreach and Recruitment Strategies
This program relies exclusively on the child support agency for referrals to the SHARE program; for the most part, it was able to supply a steady source of referrals. The program added a temporary staff person funded by WtW dollars to work directly at the child support office on identifying eligible NCPs; this strategy improved the number of referrals made to the PA's office.
When the NCP appears at court, the NCP is informed that if he cannot pay child support, he must participate in the SHARE program--which will assist him in obtaining employment--or be held in contempt of court and jailed. The PA's office has worked closely with the judges to inform them about the SHARE program; in some cases, participation in the SHARE program is written into the court order.
Intake and Assessment
WtW eligibility is determined by the child support office and verified when the individual arrives at one of the service providers. Those who are eligible for the program meet with a case manager for an assessment. Assessment is done through a one-on-one meeting with the case manager. The assessment process is intensive and covers a range of issues, including employment and education history, employment goals, family history, and potential employment barriers. At this meeting, the individual signs a personal responsibility contract that details the NCP's responsibilities in the program.
Case Management
Case managers at PFP are responsible for intake and assessment and assist with a range of other issues that may affect an individual's ability to participate or become employed and pay child support, including family problems or other personal issues. They also are responsible for all planning and arranging for all job-related assistance, including job readiness services, job placement, job retention, referrals to education and training, and working with employers. The PA's office also remains involved in the monitoring of cases and conducts review hearings to check participant progress every 30 to 45 days.
Employment and Postemployment Services
Employment services are individualized to meet participants needs. Job search services are the primary employment activity in the SHARE program. Many SHARE participants participate in job search workshops and activities offered that are also attended by WtW and Workforce Investment Act clients. NCPs also participate in on-the-job training and work experience activities, although to a lesser extent than job search. Programs in Yakima have a history of providing subsidized employment options, and thus have experience in providing these types of services. These subsidized employment activities are also available to other WtW participants.
Parenting and Relationship Services
Case managers generally address parenting and relationship issues through informal counseling and assistance. More recently, PFP has taken the lead and started offering peer support sessions, which they developed on their own using a mix of different curricula. The plan is for the support sessions to be offered to all the NCPs in the near future.
Other Services
Referrals are made to outside organizations on an "as-needed" basis for a range of services, including anger management, mediation, and assistance on domestic violence. As noted above, individuals with substance abuse problems are referred to IAM CARES, an organization with experience serving this population. WtW funds are also available to meet transportation and short-term emergencies or needs.
Contact Information
Kathy Thomas
Tri-Valley Workforce Development Council
120 South 3rd Street, Suite 200-A
Yakima, WA 98901
(509) 574-1950
E-mail: kathyt@co.yakima.wa.us
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Title VIII of H.R. 3424,enacted as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2000, contains the "Welfare to Work and Child Support Amendments of 1999" (1999 Amendments) These amendments make several significant changes to the Welfare-to-Work (WtW) grant programs administered by the Department of Labor. These changes, summarized below in question-and-answer format, are generally similar to those proposed by the Administration to allow WtW grantees to more effectively serve both long-term welfare recipients and noncustodial parents of low-income children, and to streamline WtW reporting requirements.
Required Beneficiaries/General Eligibility The 70% Eligibility Criteria"
Old Requirement: As originally enacted, at least 70 percent of WtW grant funds had to be expended to provide services to long-term Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients who met two of three specified barriers to employment and to noncustodial parents who met the barriers and whose children are long-term TANF recipients.
How do the 1999 WtW Amendments Change General Eligibility? The 1999 amendments remove the requirement that long-term TANF recipients must meet additional barriers to employment in order to be eligible for WtW. Therefore, TANF recipients are eligible for WtW if they have received assistance for at least 30 months (whether consecutive or not), if they are within 12 months of reaching their TANF time limit, or if they have exhausted their receipt of TANF due to time limits.
In addition, under the 1999 amendments, noncustodial parents are eligible if: (1) they are unemployed, underemployed, or having difficulty paying child support obligations; (2) their minor children are eligible for, or receiving TANF benefits (with a priority for parents with children who are long-term recipients), received TANF benefits during the preceding year, or are eligible for, or receiving assistance under the Food Stamps program, the Supplemental Security Income program, Medicaid, or the Children's Health Insurance Program: AND (3) they enter into a personal responsibility contract under which they commit to cooperating in establishing paternity and paying child support, and participating in services to increase their employment and earnings, and to support their children. The 1999 amendments also require grantees to consult with domestic violence organizations in developing these projects to serve noncustodial parents.
Other Eligibles - "The 30% Eligibility Requirement"
Old Requirement: As originally enacted, WtW grantees could also spend up to 30 percent of grant funds on TANF recipients and noncustodial parents who have characteristics associated with long-term dependency.
How do the 1999 WtW Amendments Change Eligibility under the 30% provision? In general, the 30% eligibility criteria are retained, except for noncustodials. In addition, the 1999 amendments add several categories of eligibility under the 30% provision, including 1) TANF recipients who have significant barriers to self-sufficiency under criteria established by the PIC, 2) youth aged 18 to 25 who have "aged out" of foster care, and 3) custodial parents with incomes below the poverty line.
Noncustodial parents are no longer included under the 30 percent provision, but may be served under the general eligibility provisions described above.
The 1999 Amendments add vocational education and job training as a separate allowable activity under WtW. Such training may be provided to a WtW participant for up to 6 months.
In addition, grantees that are not PICs or workforce investment boards may provide readiness, placement and post-employment services directly to WtW participants. As originally enacted, WtW grantees could generally only provide such services through contracts or vouchers.
The 1999 WtW Amendments eliminate the participant and financial reporting requirements as originally enacted and authorize the Secretary of Labor, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services as well as States, organizations representing States, and localities, to establish requirements for the collection and maintenance of financial and participant information and the reporting of such information. The Department expects to publish WtW participant and financial reporting requirements early in 2000. WtW grantees will continue to operate under the current reporting requirements until reporting changes are published and become effective.
Under the 1999 Amendments, State agencies responsible for enforcing child support orders (State IV-D agencies) have the authority to share information on noncustodial parents for the purpose of identifying and contacting them regarding participation in the WtW program. This information can include names, addresses, telephone numbers and identifying case number information, and can only be shared with WtW grantees who are PICs (or local workforce investment boards). The State must ensure that the PIC has procedures in place for safeguarding the privacy of this information and for ensuring that the information will be used solely for WtW recruiting purposes
As originally enacted, $100 million was set-aside from FY1999 funds to provide a bonus to successful States. The 1999 Amendments reduce the amount to $50 million, and require that no outlays of these funds occur before October 1, 2000.
WtW Competitive grantees may implement the new eligibility criteria and begin serving individuals under these criteria on January 1, 2000. Competitive grantees may also provide vocational education and job training immediately upon enactment. Further, competitive grantees who are not PICs (or local workforce investment boards) may immediately provide job placement, job readiness and post-employment services directly to WtW participants.
Formula grantees may implement the new eligibility criteria and begin serving individuals under these criteria, and providing vocational education and job training, as of July 1, 2000, except that federal formula funds may not be expended for these purposes until October 1, 2000.
For Indian and Native American grantees all applicable provisions are effective immediately.
The grid below outlines the various provisions and when they become effective for different types of grantees.
| GRANTEE TYPE | Formula Grants | Competitive Grants | Indian/ Native American Grants | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOVEMBER 1999 AMENDMENTS - Eligibility and Allowable Activities | ||||
| Expanded eligible population | July 1, 2000, except that no federal funds may be expended | October 1, 2000 (expending federal WtW funds permitted) | January 1, 2000 | November 29, 1999 |
|
Six month vocational education and job training allowed |
July 1, 2000, except that no federal funds may be expended | October 1, 2000 (expending federal WtW funds permitted) | November 29, 1999 | November 29, 1999 |
| GRANTEE TYPE | Formula Grants | Competitive Grants | Indian/Native American Grants | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOVEMBER 1999 AMENDMENTS - Other Provisions | Grantee is PIC/local board | Grantee is not PIC/local board | ||
| Information sharing between PICs/local boards and Child Support Enforcement agency | November 29, 1999 | November 29, 1999 | Not applicable. | Not applicable* |
| Direct provision of job readiness, job placement and post-employment services | Not applicable* | Not applicable. | November 29, 1999 | November 29, 1999 |
| * Except in rare cases. | ||||
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Last updated: 04/30/01