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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: December 2, 2002 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~~( <br />SUBJECT: Work First Block Grant Local Plan <br />DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Work First Plan <br />(Under Separate Cover) <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Nancy Coston, ext. 2802 <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 consider approval of the two-year Work First Plan. <br />BACKGROUND: Work First is North Carolina's cash assistance and employment services <br />program for low-income families with children and is funded by the federal Temporary <br />Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant and State and County funds. North <br />Carolina General Statutes require counties to submit their strategies for meeting the state and <br />federal goals through a county plan. <br />A local stakeholders group was appointed by the BOCC in August, and this group has met <br />during the last few months to make recommendations about the needs of Work First clients <br />and low-income families in Orange County. A draft of the plan approved by the stakeholders <br />has been submitted to the Division of Social Services and has been advertised for public <br />comment. This plan will become effective October 2003. The Social Services Board has <br />actively participated with the stakeholders group and has approved the plan. <br />The Work First planning meetings provided an opportunity for the community to review the <br />progress being made and to address issues related to low-income families with children in <br />Orange County. Based on this input, goals and strategies for improving the community <br />response to these families were developed. The members of the group were very diligent in <br />their work on the issues. The stakeholders' group was led by Dee Gamble, Chair of the Social <br />Services Board, who focused on issues related to family well-being and Dianne Reid, <br />Economic Development Director, who focused on employment and training issues. The work <br />of various subcommittees was then combined into the document that was approved by the <br />entire stakeholders group. <br />There were several key themes in the work of the stakeholders. For example, the <br />Employment and Training Group recommended such strategies as developing a stronger <br />partnership with employers to identify common goals and possible incentives to them for <br />working with specific families. Another area would be to continue current training efforts and <br />