Work First Plan Approved 01-20-1998-9a

Browse Search

The County is home to more than 150 private non profit agencies, many of which are human service agencies. Many Orange County non profits have been recognized for innovations that influence the whole state or the nation. Among these are the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood program, started by the Day Care Services Association, which allows day care teachers to enroll in early childhood development classes during their workday. The teachers gain new expertise and a higher salary upon completion of the program. The Women's Center is one of only 6 free standing women's centers in the nation, and the Orange County Dispute Settlement Center was the first in the state and is a model for similar centers across the state and nation. Orange County's Smart Start Program, which was one of the first in the state, has provided the standard for other local Partnerships to meet. Family Resource Centers found fertile ground in Orange County which now has six centers, more than any other county in the state. The Orange County Friends of DSS is the only such agency in the state. It has a 12 member board of directors and is run entirely by volunteers. Its purpose is to support the Department of Social Service and its mission in Orange County. 4. Work First Population Since 1995, over 300 Orange County families have left welfare for work, and the food stamp rolls have declined from 1,592 families to 1,380 families. As of November 1, 1997, Orange County had 548 Work First cases. This represents 1,288 individuals who are receiving financial assistance through Work First. Of these, 886 are under age 18; roughly 400 are age 5 or under. Only 16 of the families have two parents in the home. One hundred sixty -four families have used some of their 24 month time clock. The typical Work First participant is female, 24 years of age with 2 children. Sixty -two per cent of the parents have been on public assistance for less than 2 years, 22% have benefits for 2 - 5 years and 16% have received benefits for more than 5 years. For the fiscal year 1996 -97, 592 families received AFDC Emergency Cash Assistance. The average payment was $165. Almost half of the funds were used for housing; the remainder was used for electricity and other utilities. Based on information from North Carolina Equity, 1,403 people in Orange County are looking for employment. Of these, 355 are Work First recipients 980 are unemployed, and 88 are high school graduates. Education statistics for Orange County reveal a serious disparity between the general population and the Work First population.. While 83.6% of all Orange County residents over the age of 25 have a high school diploma, only 50% of the Work First recipients over 25 have a high school diploma or its equivalent.