Agenda - 08-17-2004-5k - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: August 17, 2004 Action Agenda Item No. 5K SUBJECT: County Work First Designation and Establishment of Planning Committee DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Proposed Planning Committee Members Nancy Coston, ext. 2800 Gwen Price, ext. 2885 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 PURPOSE: To approve plans to continue operating a Standard Work First program in Orange County and to appoint a committee to update the two-year plan. BACKGROUND: Work First is North Carolina's cash assistance and support program for low- income families and is funded by the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, state, and county funds. North Carolina General Statue 108A-27 requires county commissioners to decide whether a county wants to be standard or electing and the appointment of local leaders to assist in the development of the county Work First Plan. In 1997, counties developed the first biennial Work First Block Grant plans. On October 21, 1997, the Orange County Board of Commissioners voted for a Standard Work First designation and has continued as a standard county since that time. In December 1997, the Orange County's first Work First Block Grant Plan was submitted to the NC Division of Social Services outlining the county's strategies for the implementation of Work First. The plan was last updated in 2002. Electing counties are able to set all of their own Work First policies, including eligibility criteria and benefit levels. Standard counties follow a uniform set of Work First policies set by the legislature and have maximum flexibility in designing services. Under the standard county designation, the State is responsible for the payment of cash assistance to all eligible families, regardless of growth in the number of families needing assistance. Under the electing county designation, the county receives an allocation for cash payments. If the caseload declines, the county may reinvest these funds in services to eligible families. If the caseload increases, however, the county would be responsible for extra costs of the payments. The experiences of electing counties have not generally been different in terms of outcomes for families and some of the original electing counties have now become standard counties. This fall, all counties must indicate their decision to operate either a standard or electing county plan for the next two year. The county designation must be approved by the County Commissioners and reported to the NC Division of Social Services by September 30, 2004.