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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: June 27, 2002 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. S— <br /> SUBJECT: County Work First Designation <br /> DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Nancy Coston, ext. 2800 <br /> Gwen Price, ext. 2885 <br /> TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br /> Hillsborough 732-8181 <br /> Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br /> Durham 688-7331 <br /> Mebane 336-227-2031 <br /> PURPOSE: To decide whether or not to request a standard program or an electing program <br /> designation for Orange County's Work First activities. <br /> BACKGROUND: Work First is North Carolina's cash assistance and support program for low- <br /> income families and is funded by the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families <br /> (TANF) block grant, state, and county funds. North Carolina General Statue 108A-27 requires <br /> county commissioners to decide whether a county wants to be standard or electing and the <br /> appointment of local leaders to assist in the development of the county Work First Plan. In <br /> 1997, counties developed the first biennial Work First Block Grant plans. On October 21, <br /> 1997, the Orange County Board of Commissioners voted for a standard Work First <br /> designation. In December 1997, the Orange County's first Work First Block Grant Plan was <br /> submitted to the NC Division of Social Services outlining the county's strategies for the <br /> implementation of Work First. <br /> In North Carolina, twenty-one counties were originally designated as electing status and the <br /> remaining 79 were standard. Electing counties are able to set all of their own Work First <br /> policies, including eligibility criteria and benefit levels. Standard counties follow a uniform set <br /> of Work First policies set by the legislature and have maximum flexibility in designing services. <br /> Under the standard countydesignation, the State is responsible for the payment of cash <br /> assistance to all eligible families, regardless of growth in the number of families needing <br /> assistance. Under the electing county designation, the county receives an allocation for cash <br /> payments. If the caseload declines, the county may reinvest these funds in services to <br /> eligible families. If the caseload increases, however, the county would be responsible for <br /> extra costs of the payments. The experiences of electing counties have not generally been <br /> different in terms of outcomes for families and some of the original electing counties have now <br /> become standard counties. <br /> This fall, all counties must indicate their decision to operate either a standard or electing <br /> county plan for the next two year. The county designation must be approved by the County <br />