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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: September 19, 2000 Action Age~d~ Item No. SUBJECT: Coun Work First Designation DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Martin Whitt, Ext. 2858 Gwen Price, Ext. 2885 TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To decide whether or not to request a standard program or an electing program designation for Orange County's Work First activities. BACKGROUND: Work First is North Carolina's cash assistance program for low-income families and is funded by the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, state, and county moneys. North Carolina General Statue 10$A-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. 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. In North Carolina, twenty~ne counties were designated electing status and the remaining 79 are standard. 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. This fall, all counties must decide whether to become or remain standard or electing for the next two years. The county designation must be reported to the NC Division of Social Services by September 24, 2000. Each county will then develop a Work First Block Grant Plan to be adopted by the county commissioners. Orange County has begun the process of developing a new Work First Block Grant Plan. In July 1999, the Board of Commissioners anticipated the need to formulate a new Plan and reconvened the Welfare Reform Task Force. The initial Plan was effective July 1998-June 2000. In an effort to synchronize the County and State planning process, the state has extended the cun'ent county plans for one additional year. Orange County's current plan will extend through June 30, 2001.