Agenda - 06-25-1991 - Laserfiche WebLink

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s Draft Version The Orange County Opportunities for Families Fund Proposal 2. PROPOSAL SUMMARY Orange County requests one million dollars from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation to increase the effective involvement of young males in low - income families. Young males want to acquire the skills to support their families. The Orange County OFF Program will provide males with the training and social support necessary to help them help their families escape poverty. The program will focus on two age groups: younger males, ages 9 to 15, and older males, ages 16 to 23. A partnership of public and private institutions in the county has devised a comprehensive plan for males which includes strengthened educational opportunities, mentoring, social support and employment services. Structural changes in county service delivery such as the co- location of services, expanded and more appropriate hours of service, increased availability of transportation, and case advocacy will help young males play a more effective economic and nurturing role in their families. By providing avenues for more effective participation of young males, more families will break the cycle of poverty. Traditionally, the philosophy of public welfare has been to focus on the single parent family and assume that the mother will be the only responsible parent. Efforts to require support from males have been largely punitive in nature and have not focused on increasing the ability of males to provide financial and emotional support for the family. Any realistic strategy to help families break the cycle of poverty must involve both males and females, giving both the job skills needed to earn a steady and reasonable income and the ability to understand how they can strengthen their family. Most families in Orange County require two incomes to meet the increasing costs of housing, schooling, food, health care, material goods and overall expenses. The need for two incomes has led to high rates of female participation in the work force. If middle class families require two incomes to maintain an adequate standard of living, then, it is only reasonable that low- income families need two incomes as well. Orange County is rapidly urbanizing with a high cost of living and a very technological and service - driven economy. This county is a particularly difficult place for an untrained single parent to support a family. Many low - income parents are employed in minimum wage service jobs (including many state jobs) which do not provide sufficient income to support adequately a family of three. 6/19/91 The Orange County OFF Draft TWO Proposal 1 3