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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: August 19, 2008 <br />Action Agenda , <br />Item No. - ~ <br />SUBJECT: County Work First Designation and Establishment of Plannin Committee <br />DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Proposed Planning Committee Members Nancy Coston, 245-2802 <br />Yvette Smith, 245-2885 <br />PURPOSE: To approve plans to continue operating a standard Work First program in Orange <br />County and to appoint a committee to update the Work First Plan for 2009-2011. <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 county <br />designation and to appoint local leaders to assist in the development of the county Work First <br />Plan. In 1997, counties developed the first biennial Work First Block Grant plans. On October <br />21, 1997, the Orange County Board of Commissioners voted for a standard Work First <br />designation and has continued as a standard county since that time. In December 1997, <br />Orange County's first Work First Block Grant Plan was submitted to the NC Division of Social <br />Services outlining the County's strategies for the implementation of Work First. The plan has <br />been updated every two years since that time. The new Work First Plan ~is for October 2009 <br />through September 2011. <br />Electing counties are able to set all of their own Work First policies, including eligibility criteria <br />and benefit levels. In addition, those counties must have the technological support to carry <br />out the changes implemented. Standard counties follow a uniform set of Work First policies <br />set by the legislature and have maximum flexibility in designing services. Under the standard <br />county designation, the State is responsible for the payment of cash assistance to all eligible <br />families, regardless of growth in the number. of families needing assistance. Under the <br />electing county designation, the county receives an allocation for cash payments. The <br />experiences of electing counties have not generally been different in terms of outcomes for <br />families. <br />This fall, all counties must indicate their decision to operate either a standard or electing <br />county plan for the next two years. The county designation must be approved by the County <br />Commissioners and reported to the NC Division of Social Services by September 26, 2008. <br />