A teacher sitting with children who are playing with toys in class, and smiling at them.

Transitional Services

TANF programs provide a wide array of support and services that individuals and families may need to remove barriers and obtain and maintain successful employment. However, TANF assistance often is not enough to help families maintain long-term independence. As a result, community and faith-based organizations have launched collaborations with local governments to provide additional support and services to families. Transitional services refer to support beyond formal TANF assistance that helps individuals retain stable employment, housing, child care, and transportation, and meet their long-term financial needs. These services are essential for helping clients gain the skills and resources they need to make a successful transition from public assistance to long-term self-sufficiency.

Berrien County EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) Initiative

Overview

Program/Practice Name: Berrien County EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) Initiative

Agency Name: Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency

Contact Information: Lead Agency

Twyla E. Smith Southwest Michigan Community Action Agency 185 E. Main Street, Suite 303 Benton Harbor, MI 49022 Phone: (269) 925-9077 ext. 12 tsmith@smcaa.com www.smcaa.com

Rachel Wade United Way of Southwest Michigan 2015 Lakeview Avenue Saint Joseph, MI 49085 Phone: (269) 982-1700 ext. 20 rachel.wade@uwsm.org www.uwsm.org

www.michiganeic.org

Type of Program/Practice: The Berrien County EITC Initiative provides free tax preparation services and financial literacy to low- and moderate-income families in Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties.

Description

Program/Practice Description: The Berrien County EITC Initiative is part of a statewide anti-poverty initiative that urges low- and moderate-income Michigan residents to file for the federal EITC if they qualify. The initiative offers free tax preparation services to EITC-eligible residents. The initiative is heavily dependent upon volunteers to conduct the tax preparation activities. Site coordinators spend considerable time marketing the program and recruiting volunteers. In addition to tax preparation services, the Berrien County EITC Initiative promotes financial literacy as residents wait for their taxes to be prepared.

Innovations and Results: Money management and financial literacy are crucial to the Berrien County EITC Initiative. The goal is for residents to make better choices with their money that will lead to better financial security. While EITC eligible residents are waiting to file their taxes, a financial literacy video is played and brochures are available. Volunteers also discuss financial literacy with residents.

Funding: The Berrien County EITC Initiative is funded through grants (e.g., United Way, the State Community Services Block Grant-Tax) and in-kind donations.

Staffing: Site coordinators conduct the marketing for the EITC initiative, recruit and coordinate volunteers, and e-file the tax returns. The IT coordinator provides technical support for the computers and the network. The EITC initiative depends on volunteers; there are 10-15 volunteers who carry out the tax preparation and financial literacy activities. A trainer for the volunteers also completes tax returns at the site. Both the IT coordinator and trainer are volunteers.

Implementation

Tips to Implementation: To create an active coalition, have people who can run everyday activities. Success depends on the volunteers for without volunteers, there is no program. Quality is more important than quantity when recruiting volunteers.

Keys to Success:

Finding high-quality, committed volunteers.
Retaining volunteers from previous years.

Challenges: Recruiting volunteers is among the biggest challenges. The Berrien County EITC Initiative uses flyers, letters to churches and schools, visits to businesses, presentations, and word-of-mouth marketing to ensure information about the EITC initiative reaches the community and to help recruit volunteers. To retain volunteers from previous years, the Berrien County EITC Initiative shows appreciation for the volunteers' work by catering a dinner at the end of tax season and presenting volunteer awards.

Tools

The following tools are associated with Berrien County EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) Initiative. Please send us an email at upitoolkit@blhtech.com for more information about these tools.

Checklist for Filing

Describes what papers residents should bring to file taxes.

EITC PowerPoint

Training guide for volunteers.

EITC Volunteer Survey

Evaluation form designed to gain feedback from volunteers to improve the program and practices.

Intake Form

For collecting information from residents prior to tax preparation.

Managing Your Debts

Financial literacy brochure.

Marketing Letters

Sample letters to families, churches, employers, and schools to raise awareness about free tax preparation services for EITC eligible residents.

Marketing Timeline

Prepares coalitions for the tax season.

Memorandum of Understanding

Agreement for coalition members to sign indicating commitment to EITC program, what they are willing to provide, and when and how they will provide it.

Site Job Descriptions

Provides job descriptions for key personnel before, during, and after tax filing season; also includes recommended supply lists.

Site Procedures

Describes roles and responsibilities of reception, intake, tax preparer, and quality control.

Volunteer Letter

Sample letter to recruit volunteers for tax preparation.

Volunteer Timeline

Provides chronology for organizing an EITC volunteer program.

Community Action Partnership (CAP) of Riverside County Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Program

Overview

Program/Practice Name: Community Action Partnership (CAP) of Riverside County Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Program

Agency Name: A collaborative effort of the Riverside County Department of Public Social Service (DPSS), CAP of Riverside County, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Contact Information:

Kathrine Latta Program Manager, EITC/ IDA Programs Community Action Partnership of Riverside County 2038 Iowa Avenue, Suite B-102 Riverside, CA 92507 Phone: (951) 955-4900 Fax: (951) 955-6506 kelatta@capriverside.org

Type of Program/Practice: The program provides free tax preparation for low-income wage earners to inform them of EITC and Individual Development Account (IDA) benefits.

Description

Program/Practice Description: The Riverside EITC program is designed to develop an effective EITC outreach campaign to low-income families in Riverside County. The volunteer program provides free tax filing assistance to low-income taxpayers in order to promote work, family, and local economic development. Background/Program History: The EITC program evolved when IRS statistics revealed there was $307.6 million of potential lost revenue to Riverside County in the 1999 filing season from filed returns that were eligible for the EITC but failed to claim it. At first, only six Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program sites were available to Riverside County, but after forming the partnership with DPSS, the program expanded to each of the 12 Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) offices. In the initial stages of the program, the IRS was able to provide training, computers, and printers to each of the GAIN staff members. After realizing the initial success of the program, DPSS transferred ownership of the program to CAP of Riverside County, whose operations were more clearly aligned with the interests of the program. Today, the program has evolved to being fairly independent of the IRS, as several CAP staff members serve as trainers for new volunteers. Operations: To inform customers of the services available, the program mails thousands of informational flyers and DPSS displays posters in the lobby of every Riverside welfare-to-work office, along with handouts, additional IRS tax forms, publications, and booklets. The Riverside teams work together to ensure their messages are consistent throughout their programming. CAP staff make presentations at DPSS Job Clubs, train DPSS staff to promote the financial benefits of the EITC and IDA programs, and attend conferences with their partners. The CAP office plans to open additional sites and is working to establish consistent branding throughout Riverside County. Innovations and Results: The EITC program's key innovation evolved from the initial partnership with the IRS and subsequent partnership with the CAP, leading to required expertise and a greater pool of resources for widespread outreach to low-income families. Through these partnerships, the Riverside County EITC Program is able to provide free income tax preparation services at all 12 welfare-to-work district offices throughout Riverside County, using approximately one staff person per office. This program has resulted in DPSS customers receiving over one half million dollars EITC for the 2002 tax year and over $1.1 million dollars EITC for the 2003 tax year. As program success continued from 2003 through 2005, the program catalyzed the issuance of $3.7 million of tax credits. Under the guidance of CAP, the program continues to bring in about $1 million in tax credits per year.

Implementation

Tips to Implementation: Agencies interested in implementing a similar program should consider their technological capabilities, as Internet firewalls often can hinder the formation of partnerships. In addition, agencies should consider where the services will be located, ensuring appropriate space for foot traffic. Additionally, treat the program as a skilled volunteering opportunity so volunteers fully appreciate the significance of working with customers' money.

Keys to Success:

By forming partnerships, a county can extend program reach beyond TANF and have an impact on helping low-income families achieve self-sufficiency.
By partnering with CAP, DPSS was able to combine the EITC program with existing IDA programs to better help clients see the end results of their financial planning.
By leveraging skilled volunteers, the program reaches a broad range of people without incurring significant costs. Also, the program is able to use returning volunteers to train new ones.

Tools

The following tools are associated with Community Action Partnership (CAP) of Riverside County Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Program. Please send us an email at upitoolkit@blhtech.com for more information about these tools.

Overview of Riverside County DPSS EITC Outreach Campaign

Outlines DPSS marketing approach.

CAP EITC Fact Sheet

Summary of program results over three years.

CAP EITC Program Volunteer Sign-up

Volunteer recruitment flyer.

CAP EITC Flyer

EITC advocacy brochure compares the cost of paid tax preparation to that of using free Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site preparation.

CAP EITC Training Curriculum

Detailed training program overview, including all topics covered in the certification training.

CAP IDA Fact Sheet

Brief overview of IDA program successes.

CAP IDA Flyer

Marketing brochure used to recruit partners and participants.

EarnBenefits Program, Atlanta

Overview

Program/Practice Name: EarnBenefits Program, Atlanta

Agency Name: Seedco

Contact Information:

Michele Chivore Program Associate 447 Windsor Street, Suite 101 Atlanta, GA 30312 Phone: (404) 230–7131 Fax: (404) 586–0513 mchivore@seedco.org www.seedco.org

www.earnbenefits.org

Type of Program/Practice: The Atlanta implementation of Seedco partners with existing organizations to implement the EarnBenefits program, which connects low–wage workers to a wide range of income–enhancing benefits that have a proven impact on long–term job retention and asset accumulation.

Description

Program/Practice Description: The EarnBenefits program employs trained counselors who consult personally with low–wage workers and use an online Web–based system that dynamically screens clients for one or more benefits, stores their data for future use, and assists clients in electronically filling the application form associated with the benefits they are interested in applying for, from school lunch programs for a child to prescription assistance programs. The counselor follows up to ensure the worker is receiving the benefit and to recommend other options that may become available later. In Atlanta, Seedco does not operate a client–facing center, but partners with local organizations such as the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency and Sheltering Arms, an early education and family center, in addition to partnering with a network of 13 local organizations in the metro Atlanta area and 5 community partners in Savannah. The network consists of workforce development agencies, local churches, daycare centers, community and faith-based organizations.

Background/Program History: The Atlanta Office launched in January 2006. After developing the technology through a grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Earned Benefits Baltimore Initiative, Seedco made presentations at several conferences, which facilitated the connection to the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation in March 2005.

Innovations and Results: Seedco has expanded its operations to additional locations through flexible structuring and strategic partnerships. In Atlanta and Savannah, Seedco has identified eighteen community–based organizations that serve low–income families to implement the EarnBenefits program. Seedco enables its partners to use EarnBenefits Online, a computer program that screens participants for eligibility, assists with the completion of applications, and manages the participant files, making it easy for caseworkers to find the best options for each participant and to keep track of the case history. Since beginning Atlanta operations in 2006, the EarnBenefits program has resulted in 20,140 households being screened and 12,202 households receiving at least one benefit that boosts their income, at a value of $17,675,723.

Operations: When Seedco partners with an organization to implement the EarnBenefits program, operations consist of five main steps. First, the local organization uses Seedco's outreach and marketing materials to inform low–income families of their opportunities through the EarnBenefits program. Once clients volunteer to be screened, the counselor at any partner organization uses EarnBenefits Online to screen customers. Next, the EarnBenefits staff assists clients in filling out complex government applications. Seedco collects these forms and submits them to the appropriate determining agency, e.g. Division of Family and Children Services for eligibility approval. Seedco then works with the partner organization to conduct benefits management, which occurs after a low–wage worker has accessed benefits and work supports. During this phase, the counselor maintains contact with the client, assisting with recertification and additional resources that the client might need.

Funding: Seedco receives funding from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, the Georgia Department of Human Services, United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, the Walmart Foundation and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to assist with operations in the Atlanta area. The EarnBenefits program is meant to be integrated into other parts of a partner organization's existing programs. For example, the One–Stop submitted a proposal to the mayor of Atlanta when planning to implement the program. The funding received from the Georgia Department of Human Resources Food Stamp Outreach Program provides a 50–50 match for all outreach funding. The funding received for Food Stamp Outreach has allowed Seedco to leverage that funding with workforce development services at the One–Stop. The size of these grants depends on the organization's capacity and the target numbers of enrollees. Seedco's Atlanta staff facilitates monthly meetings to keep partner organizations aware of progress toward target numbers and identify any gaps. Otherwise, by integrating the EarnBenefits program into other aspects of their programming, partner organizations do not have to obtain significant funding for the implementation of the additional program.

Staffing: EarnBenefits staffing requirements are extremely flexible and may be absorbed easily by other aspects of a partner organization's service offerings. For example, The Center for Working Families Inc. one of the local partners in Atlanta leverages their Coaches (case management staff) who work closely with participants at the Center daily. The Atlanta One–Stop uses its case managers and retention counselors to conduct the EarnBenefits operations. In addition, much of the EITC outreach success came through offering free tax preparation in a partnership with AARP that has retirees assisting with tax preparation and EarnBenefits.

Forming Partnerships: At first, Seedco did not work with workforce development agencies; the program focused primarily on child care centers. Seedco soon realized that some of its child care partners were not effective places to implement the EarnBenefits programs. Only those centers that sustained high levels of client interaction proved able to screen and enroll appropriate numbers of customers. For example, Seedco's partnership with Sheltering Arms became successful because this child care center provides family support services in addition to daycare and Head Start programming. Sheltering Arms built information on EarnBenefits into its enrollment forms and initial family support process to make EarnBenefits screening an integrated aspect of services to all families. Since the initial partners, Seedco has expanded the types of organizations that it partners with; they vary in size and target population, they developed a streamlined set of criteria when identifying new partners. Seedco is interested in partners;

That are interested in building the capacity of their organizations while integrating a benefits access tool, the concept of targets and agency accountability to enhance their organizations self–sufficiency goals;
That have may have identified self–sufficiency goals, but have not formalized this process;
That have a strong human service programming within their organization that results in a strong client flow; and
That are located in or near communities with a high number of income eligible clients, and that have access to public transportation if available.

Implementation

Tips to Implementation/Keys to Success: Seedco and its Atlanta partners offer several tips to successful implementation of the EarnBenefits program. First, they recommend organizations consider their customer demographics and customer flow. Second, they recommend organizations consider their model of business and priorities to determine whether EarnBenefits is a fit. Third, organizations must feel comfortable sharing data, as partners in a given location will share successes and brainstorm for solutions. Seedco notes this can be a challenge for organizations that are not used to sharing data.

Keys to Success: Seedco notes the following keys to success:

Effective partnerships occur when organizations are clear about how each side operates, what are the populations they serve, and what are the expectations and goals of each.
Seedco's monthly meetings bring all its local area partners together for goal setting and peer sharing.
Seedco emphasized the need to work with leaders of organizations who have the ability and creativity to leverage existing operations in ways that conserve resources.

Tools

The following tools are associated with EarnBenefits Program, Atlanta. Please send us an email for more information about these tools.

Atlanta EarnBenefits Flyer

Atlanta EarnBenefits Brochure

Authorization and Consent to Release Information

Program Reporting Requirements for EarnBenefits Community Partners

EarnBenefits Needed Documents Checklist

Child and Family Interest Survey

Family Development Empowerment Plan

Subcontract

Similar Types of Programs in Toolkit:

EarnBenefits Program, New York City

Overview

Program/Practice Name: EarnBenefits Program, New York City

Agency Name: Seedco, a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in New York, NY

Contact Information:

915 Broadway, 17th Floor New York, NY 10010 (212) 473-0255 www.seedco.org/earnbenefits/ www.earnbenefits.org/

Type of Program/Practice: Seedco is a national nonprofit organization headquartered in New York City that advances economic opportunity for people, businesses and communities in need.

Description

Program/Practice Description: The EarnBenefits program connects low-wage workers to a wide range of income-enhancing benefits that have a proven impact on long-term job retention and asset accumulation. Low-wage workers who make informed choices opening a checking account, thinking about the next step in a career, and accessing available benefits such as health insurance and the Earned Income Tax Credit are more likely to succeed. For example, a single mother with two children, employed as a childcare provider, typically earns about $7 an hour. She brings home a little more than $1,000 a month, below the poverty line and hundreds of dollars less than her monthly costs for housing, transportation, food, clothes, and utilities. When she has access to income-raising benefits, such as nearly $200 a month in Medicaid insurance, $200 in Food Stamps, and $100 in tax refunds, her monthly budget rises to more than $1,600. However, research and Seedco's experience have shown that too few families are aware and able to access the available opportunities. EarnBenefits was launched in 2004 to address that problem.

Marketing and Education — User friendly materials, including a public website,
Eligibility Screening and Facilitated Access — The EBO tool streamlines eligibility screening for benefits, application submission, and tracking of submitted applications. EBO stores client data, creating an efficient system to screen and provide application assistance for multiple benefits and is designed to e-file completed applications directly to local benefits administering agencies.
Benefits Management — Once low–wage workers access work supports, EarnBenefits helps them manage their benefits. This includes assistance with recertification and linkages to financial education and coaching. Additionally advice is given on how to continue to receive benefits and supports, such as low–cost financial services and products, as household income increases.

Innovations and Results: Seedco has successfully developed and implemented a core set of practical and technical principles that have streamlined participant registration and tracking. By developing and using its Web-based participant management information system, Seedco has created new partnerships that foster successful job recruitment and training strategies for low-income residents. Individualized case management ensures seamless and targeted service delivery to clients, while fostering productive partnerships with specialized service providers throughout the region, including health care providers, child care providers, and other key resources to reduce the challenges to client participation. This process has increased participation and success rates by matching clients to those areas that are best suited to their individual needs. Seedco has developed a one-on-one approach using its online system to screen and assign clients to the opportunities best suited to their qualifications. Moreover, the system is programmed to automatically identify and make recommendations for necessary support services that enhance the likelihood of client success.

Funding: EarnBenefits has received financial support from foundations, government agencies, and major intermediary organizations.

Staffing:Seedco staff are an integral part of the EarnBenefits program success and Seedco works diligently to recruit, train, and reward staff who are well qualified and dedicated to the goals of the organization. Staff receive intensive training and continuous learning on effective interaction skills and on the technology necessary to deliver the appropriate services. For example, counselors are trained in how to engage clients and how to deliver services. Staff are trained in effective communication, advanced computing techniques, customer service, leadership skills, problem solving, process improvement, and teamwork.

Additional Information:The Seedco program connects various social resources to improve the likelihood of client success. Seedco, an intermediary organization, relies on its partnerships with faith-based organizations, human service organizations, and other small firms and stakeholders to recruit and assign clients. Through its technology-based EarnBenefits application, Seedco provides specific services that increase employability and reduce the challenges faced by unemployed and hard to employ individuals. The EarnBenefits application is an innovative and integrated online system that matches clients with specific services and potential employers. This program dynamically screens a client for multiple supports and pre-populates application forms, from school lunch programs to financial education and training.

Implementation

Tips to Implementation: Seedco is committed to improving the success of low–income clients. To that end, Seedco seeks to cultivate a well–trained workforce by identifying specific potential participants, measuring skill levels, matching clients with potential positions, and providing support services such as case management, while assessing their employability skills and providing training as appropriate. Seedco has identified several activities that increase the likelihood of success for programs of this type, including assisting clients in navigating and understanding the employment environment and the workforce system, analyzing assets and strategies that are important to the local economy, developing attractive service options and viable funding plans, cultivating productive relationships with potential employers, and negotiating strategic alliances and operational agreements.

Successes: Since start–up, EarnBenefits has connected over 100,000 households to more than 153,000 benefits valued at approximately $217 million. Currently operating in eight states, Seedco's EarnBenefits helps families bridge the gap between their wages and their needs by making it easier for them to connect to a variety of available benefits, thus promoting job stability and economic advancement.

Challenges: Seedco experienced several challenges, including information gathering as it pertained to clients and their skills and employability. Also, helping clients make a smooth transition from unemployment to full–time employment requires additional assistance and intensive case management. Using various networks demands constant review and quality assurance to make certain the data gathered are accurate and up to date. Seamless information sharing from one site to another, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and workforce development sites for example, calls for deep understanding and constant evaluation and training of staff.

Other Lessons Learned:

Aligning workforce development, employee outlets, educational outlets, and health care providers requires a clear understanding of the industries in the State and a common understanding of the knowledge and skills required to move to self–sufficiency.
Ensuring the successful assignment of potential employees requires a one–stop, seamless system between each component and the clients.
Offering or expanding opportunities for continuous learning and skill development is crucial to improving retention.
Ensuring strong social networks and partnerships that allow clients to receive educational and social services helps increase literacy skills and employability.
Building employability requires constant information sharing, ongoing case management, and increased access to lifelong learning opportunities.
Ongoing assessment and evaluation are crucial to measuring program effectiveness and providing informational markers for program and service changes.

Tools

The following tools are associated with EarnBenefits Program, New York City. Please send us an email for more information about these tools.

EarnBenefits NYC Resource Page - EarnBenefits Online website list available programs and eligibility criteria in health, nutrition, housing, utilities, tax credits, career training, and children and family supports.

About Seedco - Seedco designs and implements innovative programs and services for workers, families, and businesses in need. We advance community economic development through workforce development, work and family supports, and community finance and small business services.

Similar Types of Programs in Toolkit:

EarnBenefits Program, Atlanta

Emergency Child Care Assistance Program

Overview

Program/Practice Name: Emergency Child Care Assistance Program

Agency Name: Quality Care for Children

Contact Information:

Keon Berry

Director of Parent Services

3 Corporate Boulevard, NE, Suite 230

Atlanta, GA 30329

Phone: (404) 479-4203

Fax: (404) 479-4166

keon.berry@qccga.org

Anna Buchmann

Assistant Director, Parent Services

3 Corporate Boulevard, NE

Atlanta, GA 30329

Phone: (404) 479-4223

Fax: (404) 479-4166

anna.buchmann@qccga.org

Sarah Bello

Family Resource & Scholarship Manager

3 Corporate Boulevard, NE

Atlanta, GA 30329

Phone: (404) 479-4208

Fax: (404) 479-4166

sarah.bello@qccga.org

Type of Program/Practice: The Emergency Child Care Assistance Program provides families in crisis with temporary child care (when funding is available), thus supporting families through hardship.

Description

Program/Practice Description: The Emergency Child Care Assistance Program resides within the larger referral organization, Quality Care for Children, and provides crisis intervention services to low- and middle-income families. Such crises may include incarceration, illness, new jobs without child care supports, domestic violence, and other issues. The program partners with local providers to offer up to 6 weeks of free child care, then works with families to develop mid-term and long-term solutions to their child care needs.

Innovations and Results: The program is the only one of its kind in the Atlanta area that offers this crisis intervention service to stave off the need for foster care. The program serves an average of 300 families every year who experience a variety of issues. Domestic violence represents the most frequent issue, and 75 percent of services are for low- to middle-income women. While 99 percent of customers work, these families maintain an income level that offers little or no security in times of crisis.

Funding: Quality Care for Children does not market the program because it can accept only a limited number of families due to budget constraints. Fifty percent of funds cover the salary of the emergency child care manager, and the other 50 percent goes directly toward paying partner-providers. The program obtains funds through grants from foundations, local county government, and the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta.

Important Partnerships: The Emergency Child Care Assistance Program partners with a pool of 15 providers who regularly provide child care and have openings to receive emergency customers. Child care providers must be legal within the State, have 10 or more hours of training, and undergo quarterly training for crisis intervention. The majority of providers are family child care providers who keep the children overnight if necessary.

Implementation

Tips to Implementation: The program offers several tips for starting similar services in other locations. An organization should contact the State to help the agency understand that an emergency child care program removes the need for foster care. A new program might partner with local foundations, hospitals, or county organizations. The emergency child care manager also highlighted the need for a diverse set of funding sources to ensure an organization can sustain such a program. Additionally, a similar effort would best stem from an organization that has a good relationship with local child care providers who will respond to families in crisis.

Keys to Success: The Emergency Child Care Assistance Program cites two keys to its successful implementation:

The program functions best with a dedicated staff person who understands the dynamics of families in crisis, can find supports for those families, and has working knowledge of a child care business.
Throughout the program, staff and child care providers must maintain flexibility when working with families in crisis, as these families may not always accurately interpret messages from an organization. In these cases, the organization must redirect families and assist them in making appropriate choices.

Challenges: This organization faced the challenge of distinguishing the Emergency Child Care Assistance Program from other aspects of its referral process. In many cases, county workers erroneously referred a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipient or low-income client to the organization for help with child care subsidy assistance. While Quality Care for Children is a referral organization that assists customers with finding and selecting appropriate child care options, the Emergency Child Care Assistance Program is a limited program that works exclusively with families struggling with immediate crises. This is a one-time service for any customer, not a viable solution for families that need ongoing free or reduced-fee child care.

Tools

The following tools are associated with Emergency Child Care Assistance Program. Please send us an email at upitoolkit@blhtech.com for more information about these tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Provides answers for various scenarios that may arise in the course of providing this service for families.

Emergency Child Care Assistance Provider Orientation

A synopsis of the program.

Emergency Child Care Assistance Program Provider Application

For providers interested in enrolling in the program.

Emergency Child Care Assistance Program Agreement

An agreement between the child care provider and the Emergency Child Care Assistance Program.

Faith Connections

Overview

Program/Practice Name: Faith Connections

Agency Name: Wilson County (North Carolina) Department of Social Services

Contact Information: Becky Stottlemyre Faith Connections Program Coordinator Crisis Intervention Team Wilson County Department of Social Services PO Box 459 100 Gold Street Wilson, NC 27894-0459 Phone: 252-293-4323 Fax: 252-206-4198 rstottlemyre@wilson-co.com www.wilson-co.com/soc.html

Type of Program/Practice: Faith Connections is Wilson County's first collaborative program linking churches and pastors, as well as local social service agencies, to assist families and individuals with needs unmet through public assistance.

Description

Program/Practice Description: An interdenominational, faith–based initiative that is housed at Career Plus, a Work First Self–Sufficiency Center, Faith Connections was designed and staffed by the Wilson County Department of Social Services and provides assistance and support to social workers working directly with clients. The Faith Connections goal is to assist social workers by providing the additional resources (monetary and nonmonetary assistance) needed to help families and individuals maintain employment, alleviate crisis, and achieve stability. Faith Connections follows a holistic approach that allows many needs to be met that otherwise might go unmet by adhering to an eligibility approach.

The program has provided families and individuals with financial assistance as well as recycled computers (donated by local organizations), furniture, clothing, cars, car repairs, and pro bono counseling. The program is designed to link financial assistance provided by local churches directly to recipients through a streamlined process while strengthening faith–based community partnerships in the Wilson area.

Background/Program History: Prior to Faith Connections, families or individuals seeking aid and assistance from social service agencies were required to solicit resources from their family, community, and individual churches. Churches would hand out resources without any follow up or accountability.

In 1997, a local church donated a downtown building (which would become home to the Faith Connections program) to a nonprofit partner of Wilson County Department of Social Services. Partnering with other community resources, the Wilson County Department of Social Services applied for a Community Development Block Grant to refurbish the space and implement a Work First Self–Sufficiency Center that would house a multitude of services and resources to help former Work First families remain employed and achieve economic stability. First to be housed in the newly renovated building was the department's faith and business community coordinator. The original coordinator was an ordained minister and provided invaluable assistance in training, mobilizing, and organizing congregations and church leaders by partnering with employers, the Chamber of Commerce, JobLink partners, Work First/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families agencies, and nonprofit organizations to develop a Pathways to Success model.

As the program evolved and through lessons learned, the faith and business community coordinator became the Faith Connections program coordinator. The current Faith Connections program coordinator is not affiliated with any particular denomination, is not an ordained minister, and has gained the trust and respect of leaders in the faith community. The Department of Social Services is the fiscal agent responsible for monitoring all finances including donations and expenditures for clients who need financial assistance.

Innovations and Results: Faith Connections is Partnership in Action for Wilson County. The program has improved productivity by supplementing and leveraging federal, State, and local government monies to provide families and individuals with comprehensive services and resources to alleviate crises that if left unresolved, could turn into a downward spiral of hopelessness. It allows social workers the flexibility and leverage to offer more comprehensive solutions for families and individuals so anyone in crisis can truly overcome obstacles and not simply gain a temporary fix for complex issues.

Faith Connections has improved the quality of services offered by pooling community resources to offer a more comprehensive support system for clients. Churches are now reducing their intake and financial assistance processes and instead refer families and individuals to the Department of Social Services for screening and assessment of eligibility for federal or State program aid, as well as assistance through Faith Connections. In addition, the program minimizes duplication of services and reduces fraud.

Since 1996, Wilson County welfare rolls have been reduced by 85 percent. During that time, 70 faith partners have become part of Faith Connections. The program has received national recognition and is part of a research project by the Charitable Choice Institute at the State University of New York.

The following results have been achieved by Faith Connections:

Total amount received from Faith Community partnerships since July 2002 – $180,940
Total referrals to Faith Connections since July 2002 – 5,221
Total cars donated to assist working families since 2000 – 27
Results for Fiscal Year 2009-2010:
- - 1,807 families/individuals were served;
  - $37,405 in financial assistance was provided to families/individuals by partner churches;
  - $31,464 in additional assistance was provided to families/individuals to leverage federal, State, and county assistance programs from community agencies, including Wilson County Department of Social Services, Salvation Army, Hope Station, Operation Care, Love in Action, and individuals; and
  - $187,178 in in-kind donations were provided to families/individuals by Wilson County non-profits, churches, and community individuals.

Operations: Connections between faith–based organizations and local service agencies and participants are made through one or more of the following:

The crisis assistance intake process at the Department of Social Services Alternative Services or Adult Services.
Referral from a social worker who has an ongoing relationship with a family or individual and a specific goal or need for that participant. This includes social work staff from Work First, Child Protective Services Intervention/Prevention Services, Foster Care and Adoptions, Child Care Subsidy, Food and Nutrition Services, Family and Children's Medicaid Assistance, or Adult Services.
Referral from a local church or agency that has an ongoing relationship with a participant and a specific goal for that participant.

Faith Connections does not work directly with families or individuals; participants are the referring agencies or social workers. Faith Connections is the liaison between the workers requesting assistance for families or individuals and the churches who have agreed to assist financially. All the work is done through a process designed to facilitate efficiently and effectively reaching the goal of responding to unmet needs. Faith Connections emphasizes a 24–hour turnaround on requests for assistance. Referrals to Faith Connections are not limited to requests for financial assistance; support also can be for spiritual/emotional counseling, auto repair, furniture, pro bono dental work, housing resources, holiday items, food, and other needs identified through the referring agent. Faith Connections helps participants maintain their dignity by not having them go place to place in the community to accumulate resources. Faith Connections allows participant needs to be met in a timely manner. Screening and intake through the Department of Social Services ensures a review of need and a determination that the need is valid. Department of Social Services social workers are responsible for intake and follow up. Aid is provided quickly and efficiently, minimizing additional burdens on participants.

Funding: Faith Connections is funded through faith–based communities and local service agencies. All funding is provided specifically for direct assistance to families or individuals. Churches, local businesses, and other agencies either provide funds monthly through their benevolence funds or provide services in response to individual referrals. These services are as diverse as the needs and have included pro bono dental care, legal assistance, and mental health services. All administrative costs for this program, including salaries for the Faith Connections program coordinator and Department of Social Services social workers, are provided solely by the Department of Social Services.

Implementation

Tips to Implementation: By supplementing and leveraging federal, State, and local government resources with faith community resources, families and individuals are able to receive services and comprehensive resources through a streamlined process. The Department of Social Services recognizes the need to allow churches and faith–based partners to maintain autonomy in determining what services to offer. In other words, churches are asked "What do you do best?" and "How can Faith Connections partner with what you do best to meet the needs of our community?"

Keys to Success:

Fiscal activities that are separate from program services. By having Department of Social Services staff maintain fiscal responsibilities, the Faith Connections program coordinator can focus on collaborations with the faith–based community.
An efficient referral system that allows for maximum accountability. Faith Connections tracks each client's intake form to show what services, resources, and programs the client has received. Faith Connections submits a monthly report to the faith partners summarizing the services, resources, and programs provided.
Knowledgeable staff. The Faith Connections program coordinator has been critical to the success of the program.
Physical location of the program. By locating Faith Connections at an off–site building (Career Plus Self-Sufficiency Center) and not at the Department of Social Services, the program has become more accessible to clients, services, and faith partners. The center emphasizes self–sufficiency, providing services on public housing, career advancement, job retention, child abuse/prevention, day care, financial literacy, office mentoring, and asset building programs/services, including a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program that prepares taxes at no cost to families based on family's income.
Emphasis on helping one individual at a time. Faith Connections does not believe in handouts but in teaching families and individuals responsibility while helping them through crisis.

Tools

The following tools are associated with Faith Connections. Please send us an email at upitoolkit@blhtech.com for more information about these tools.

Overview PowerPoint

Provides a summary of the program, including an outline of partner commitments

Faith Connections Flyer

Highlights program vision and how to partner

Faith Connections Eligibility Screening and Referral Documents

Flow chart to determine client eligibility for services, and referral forms.

Faith Assistance Contract and Release of Information

Forms for client engagement and transparency

Faith Connections Donor and Partner Agreements

Contracts for use with individual and agency partners.

Faith Connections Referral Tracking and Financial Reports

Reports on client referrals and financial assistance provided by partner agency.

Family Self Sufficiency

Overview

Program/Practice Name: Family Self Sufficiency (FSS)

Agency Name: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)

Contact Information:

Kathryn L. Greenspan Housing Program Specialist Housing Voucher Management and Operations Division Office of Public and Indian Housing 457 Seventh Street, SW Washington, DC 10410 Phone: (202) 402-4055 Kathryn.L.Greenspan@hud.gov www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/fss.cfm

Jeff Lubell Executive Director Center for Housing Policy 1900 M Street, NW, Suite 200 Washington, DC 20036 Phone: (202) 270-5251 jlubell@nhc.org

Type of Program/Practice: FSS is a program designed to promote employment and increase savings among families receiving housing choice vouchers (Section 8) or living in public housing.

Description

Program/Practice Description: FSS is a HUD program designed to help families in the housing voucher program and public housing build assets and increase their earnings to make progress to economic security. FSS combines stable, affordable housing with case management services to help families overcome barriers to work and an asset account that grows as families incomes grow. Public housing agencies (PHAs) work with welfare agencies, schools, businesses, and other local partners to develop a comprehensive program that gives participating FSS family members the skills and experience they need to obtain employment that pays a living wage.

Background/Program History: FSS was established by Congress in 1990 by section 554 of the National Affordable Housing Act. It is a successor program to Project Self-Sufficiency and Operation Bootstrap. FSS was created to help promote employment among, and boost the assets of, low-income families participating in certain federal housing programs.

Innovations and Results: FSS can help increase the share of public housing or housing choice voucher families that are working and to increase families' earnings and assets. Of particular importance, FSS can help encourage work among welfare recipients so they find a job before they lose their income due to time limits. The FSS escrow account is the largest financial work incentive for families receiving housing choice vouchers or living in public housing units funded by HUD. FSS is also one of the largest asset-building programs for poor families in the country. Pointing to the effectiveness of the FSS program and strategy, a 2005 evaluation of the program found that FSS participants experienced much larger increases in income than non-participants between 1996 and 2000; FSS participants on welfare experienced even greater income gains, more than doubling their incomes between 1996 and 2000; and FSS participants reduced their dependence on welfare faster than non-participants. An evaluation published in 2011 likewise reported strong findings.

Implementation

Tips to Implementation: The following are a few points to consider when implementing such a program:

For the most part, PHAs must rely on their own or other local resources to operate FSS programs. However, under the authority of annual appropriations acts, HUD has been able to provide some funding for FSS program coordinators to assist PHAs in operating housing choice voucher FSS programs. The availability of funding is announced in the Federal Register in a Notice of Funding Availability.
One source of support for FSS programs is partnerships between PHAs and other entities in the community that can provide or fund case management and other services for FSS participants. Potential sources include:
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- Community action agencies
- Head Start programs
- Welfare to work and other workforce development funds administered through workforce investment boards
- City government
- Private and public foundations
Some PHAs are required to administer FSS programs because they received FSS funding for certificates or vouchers in FY 1993 or subsequent years through October 21, 1998. As a result of the Public Housing Reform Act of 1998, funding received after October 21, 1998 no longer mandates an increase in the minimum size of a PHA's FSS program.

Keys to Success: The housing agency has many responsibilities to fulfill for both the families it serves and for government-required record keeping. The housing agency must:

Provide case management services to link FSS participants with supportive services in the community. Housing agencies can provide case management services themselves or contract or partner with an agency that provides these services.
Maintain families' escrow accounts and invest those funds in HUD-approved investments.
Evaluate any request to withdraw escrow funds for purposes related to the goals of the FSS contract while the family is enrolled in FSS.
Determine whether a family has successfully completed the five-year FSS contract and, if so, provide the family with the funds in its escrow account plus interest.

Successes: The 2005 evaluation further found, "The typical FSS program graduate in 2000 accumulated about $3,000 in escrowed savings; and, of the households leaving FSS in 2000, 42 percent were successful program graduates."

Tools

The following tools are associated with Family Self Sufficiency. Please send us an email for more information about these tools.

Akron (OH) Contact Letter

Outreach correspondence to potential FSS clients encouraging them to make an appointment and indicating the steps they need to take to participate.

Big Flats (NY) FSS Application

Example of an FSS application form

New Hampshire Housing GOAL Program Assessment

New Hampshire's assessment tool

Montgomery County (MD) FSS Assessment Tool

Montgomery County's FSS assessment tool

Oceanside (CA) FSS Program Quarterly Progress Report

Oceanside's progress report

Green Bay (WI) Informal Survey

Administered to graduates of the FSS program

Rhode Island's Post-Homeownership Survey

Administered to clients after they purchased a home

Evaluation of the Family Self-Sufficiency Program: Prospective Study (2011): http://www.huduser.org/portal/publications/affhsg/eval_fssp.html

King County Jobs Access Reverse Commute Transportation Program

Overview

Program/Practice Name: King County Jobs Access Reverse Commute Transportation Program

Agency Name: King County (Washington) Department of Transportation, Metro Transit Division

Contact Information: Penny Lara Metro Transit Division, Department of Transportation 201 South Jackson Seattle, WA 98104-3586 Phone: (206) 263-8372 penny.lara@kingcounty.gov www.kingcounty.gov

Type of Program/Practice: King County Metro Transit provides services throughout King County to support local non-profit agencies to improve access to transportation services, to employment, and to employment-related activities for welfare recipients and eligible low-income individuals throughout the country.

Description

Program/Practice Description: King County Metro Transit helps individuals understand the range of transportation alternatives available to them. The overall objectives are to improve information about Metro services, increase and improve services for clients, enhance service affordability, increase job retention, and coordinate transportation funding of agencies. Through the Jobs Access Van Program, vans are supported or leased to Neighborhood House and other agencies, including SKCAC Industries, Worksource Solutions/Cliffside Vocational Institute, King County Work Training Program, Central Area Motivation Program, Youthcore, Center for Career Alternatives, Seattle Urban League, CASA Latina, Seattle School District, and Renton Technical College. The program also supports vanpools formed by entry-level employees from ABM Maintenance as well as VanShare vans. Metro Transit also developed the Transportation Resource Training program and Residential Transportation Coordinator (RTC) program. The Job Access and Reverse Commute (JARC) Flexcar program, begun in 2003 under a demonstration grant, is a partnership between King County Metro and Flexcar.

Background/Program History: Metro Transit initiated the Jobs Access Transportation Program in 1996 in response to welfare reform. With a grant from the Washington State Agency Council on Coordinated Transportation, demonstration van programs and commuter bonus programs were implemented. In 1999, a Federal Transit Administration Jobs Access Grant of $740,500 was awarded to implement the current program. During 2004-2005, the Federal Transit Administration awarded $2 million in JARC earmarks to King County Metro Transit and provided $2 million in matching funds.

Innovations and Results: The Jobs Access Van Program, funded by Metro Transit and the Employment Security Department, leases vans to any agency that provides trips for adults to training, job fairs, job search, commuting, shift work, childcare, and employment activities.

In partnership with Hopelink, Metro Transit has implemented the Residential Transportation Coordinator (RTC) program, which trains multilingual individuals to help their neighbors find transportation solutions and services. RTCs serve as the primary community resource for information about alternatives to driving and/or car ownership and transportation strategies to attend training and access employment. RTCs are located in Hope VI affordable housing homes and are fluent in languages other than English. These individuals offer peer-to-peer counseling to residents in their neighborhoods, helping them understand the transportation services available to them. RTCs help bridge language and cultural barriers for immigrants and refugees in the King County area. Because they are from the area, RTCs are motivated to contribute and are well connected within their communities. RTCs are hired as contractors to Hopelink and earn up to $599 annually.

The JARC Flexcar program deploys cars at various training, affordable housing, community college, and community agency sites. Department of Social and Human Services and Employment Security Department staff use the cars to send Temporary Assistance for Needy Families recipients on job searches, interviews, and training. At-risk youth in the U.S. Department of Labor funded Youthbuild Program also receive transportation to GED preparation and testing and on-the-job construction learning sites, including Seattle Housing Authority and Habitat for Humanity. The program emphasizes the role that car sharing can play in helping low-income individuals who are seeking employment, education, training, or other services associated with gaining employment. In addition, Metro operates the Domestic Violence Transportation program, supported by Washington State Department of Transportation Paratransit funds, which uses taxis to transport victims to advocates.

Metro uses JARC funds to support training through its Transportation Resources program, including the 2.5-hour Transportation Resources Workshop that provides information about available transportation resources. Workshops are coordinated through public agencies, nonprofits, and social service organizations. Participants receive training using the Transportation Resources Index, Metro's Web-based customer information system. The Web site was created for use by social service agencies, One Stops, housing authorities, community service agencies, and individuals and averages 1,700 hits per month. A companion Transportation Resources Training Program was developed in 2004 to provide training for employment, human services, community service, and housing support agency staff on how to access transportation resources for their clients. The program provides information additionally through job fairs sponsored by agencies such as Port Jobs, Welcome Wagon kits provided through Neighborhood House in housing authority sites, and information about transportation alternatives provided through Solid Ground as part of the Working Wheels Program.

Funding: Funding for the Jobs Access Van Program generally includes coordination of the funding match from various partner agencies.

Partnerships: The Jobs Access Committee consists of senior staff from the Department of Social and Health Services Work First, Employment Security Department, Seattle Jobs Initiative, King County Jobs Initiative, Seattle Housing Authority, King County Housing Authority, Community and Technical Colleges, Seattle Public Schools, Port Jobs, WorkForce Development Council, King County Welfare to Work, Washington Works, Urban League, and Sound Transit.

Implementation

Tips to Implementation: By coordinating transportation resources and services, as well as educating staff who work with low-income individuals, the Jobs Access Transportation Program has assisted many individuals.

Keys to Success:

Coordination of services through partnerships among Metro, the Department of Social and Health Services, and the WorkForce Development Council.
Coordination takes patience and time.

Tools

The following tools are associated with King County Jobs Access Transportation Program. Please send us an email at upitoolkit@blhtech.com for more information about these tools.

Transportation Options Workshop Binder

A guide to transportation resources.

Program Documents and Forms

A variety of program documents and forms, including the RTC Client Assistance Form, Commuter Voucher Log, and Monthly Reimbursement Forms.

Transportation Resources Index, King County Metro Transit's Web-based customer information system: http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/tri/tri-main.html

King County Jobs Access Transportation Program

Overview

Program/Practice Name: King County Jobs Access Transportation Program

Agency Name: King County (Washington) Department of Transportation, Metro Transit Division

Contact Information: Ref Lindmark Transportation Planner, Service Development Section Metro Transit Division, Department of Transportation 201 South Jackson Seattle, WA 98104-3586 Phone: (206) 684-1104 ref.lindmark@kingconty.gov www.kingcounty.gov

Type of Program/Practice: King County Metro Transit provides services throughout King County to help low-income individuals who normally are unaware of available transportation options.

Description

Funding: Funding for the Jobs Access Van Program generally includes coordination of the funding match from various partner agencies.

Implementation

Keys to Success:

Coordination of services through partnerships among Metro, the Department of Social and Health Services, and the WorkForce Development Council.
Coordination takes patience and time.

Tools

The following tools are associated with King County Jobs Access Transportation Program. Please send us an email at upitoolkit@blhtech.com for more information about these tools.

Transportation Options Workshop Binder

A guide to transportation resources.

Program Documents and Forms

A variety of program documents and forms, including the RTC Client Assistance Form, Commuter Voucher Log, and Monthly Reimbursement Forms.

Transportation Resources Index, King County Metro Transit's Web-based customer information system: http://metro.kingcounty.gov/tops/tri/tri-main.html

Redevelopment Opportunities for Women's Economic Action Program

Overview

Program/Practice Name: Redevelopment Opportunities for Women's Economic Action Program (REAP)

Agency Name: Redevelopment Opportunities for Women (ROW) programs of Family Forward

Contact Information:

Angela Schultz PO Box 806 St. Louis, MO 63188 Phone: (314)-588-8300 angela.schultz@familyforwardmo.org familyforwardmo.org

Type of Program/Practice: ROW services are designed for women who are affected by domestic violence, poverty, and/or homelessness, including battered women and individuals residing within emergency shelter programs in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County, Missouri.

Description

Program/Practice Description: REAP was developed in 2001 as an innovative way to serve victims of domestic violence by coupling services with economic security and financial literacy programs. ROW developed a comprehensive curriculum for financial education for victims of domestic violence.

The program includes a series of workshops for women, running continuously throughout the year, with four to ten women per class. All ROW programs have open enrollment and anyone can participate in the full range of programs. Participants are referred to ROW through other community-based organizations, community colleges, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) offices, and word of mouth. REAP currently counts toward the work participation requirements for TANF clients. Following a strengths-based curriculum, participants attend workshops on a variety of topics, including money and power, creating a cost of living plan, understanding credit, and saving and investing. During the program, participants create an Economic Action Plan with the help of ROW staff. Additionally, participants have access to individual economic advocacy.

After completing the REAP curriculum, low-income battered women have the opportunity to apply for an Individual Development Account (IDA). IDAs help women save for assets such as home ownership, career-enhancing education, automobiles, starting a small business, home repairs, and safety needs. The IDA program provides a one-to-one match if participants qualify at 80 percent of the Federal poverty level, and a two-to-one match if the person is at 200 percent of the poverty level. Participants are eligible to participate in the IDA program for two and a half years. All ROW program participants have access to onsite childcare provided by ROW staff in their office. The office is located in downtown St. Louis with access to the bus line and Metrolink trains; programs often are carried out in the surrounding community to increase access to ROW programs.

Innovations and Results: Since 2000, ROW has spearheaded a consortium of 11 domestic violence agencies and four homeless shelter programs to address economic issues facing battered women. Through this collaboration, REAP was developed and provides critical economic empowerment services to women directly, including a comprehensive financial literacy curriculum and IDAs. In addition, REAP offers training and consultation to staff within other agencies to provide knowledge and skills needed to increase the economic empowerment of low-income battered women.

In 2004, the REAP Training Institute was formed to provide domestic violence advocates with the knowledge and skills needed to increase economic empowerment of women experiencing intimate partner violence. Experienced REAP advocates skilled in addressing domestic violence and financial advocacy have provided intensive training to over 500 advocates across the county at conferences and coalitions. With the loss of funding in recent years, REAP provides technical assistance and consultation for agencies interested in implementing REAP services, or providing Individual Development Accounts (IDA's).

Funding: REAP originally was funded through seed money from partner agencies and the National Endowment for Financial Education. Since its inception, REAP has been funded through contributions from partner agencies, an Assets for Independence grant through the Office of Community Services, foundation grants, and the United Way of Greater St. Louis.

Other ROW Programs:

Multilingual Access Program (MAP)

ROW's Multilingual Access Program offers language and cultural access to services for non-English speaking women who are immigrants and refugees who are survivors of intimate partner violence. ROW's Language Advocates work directly with local domestic violence agencies to provide interpretation and cultural competence for individual counseling, support groups, parenting, medical appointments, court accompaniment, etc. for battered women in the immigrant and refugee communities of Metro St. Louis. MAP services are provided to eight partner agencies coordinated and scheduled by the MAP Coordinator.

Family Strengths Program

The Family Strengths (FS) Program consists of a series of two-hour classes providing key parenting information and personal development skills, along with individual goal setting and advocacy to support the participant in achieving her goals. The program focuses heavily on self-awareness, interpersonal skill building, domestic violence education, and financial education.

FS groups run for four weeks, and classes are held Tuesday – Friday, 9:30am to 11:30am. In addition to groups, participants are provided with individual advocacy to achieve their personal and family goals. There are a variety of women who attend the FS Program. Some are referred by another social service agency, some are court ordered to attend, and others attend simply for their own personal development. The classes are in continuous four-week rotations, with new participants beginning at the first class of each rotation. Free bus tickets and childcare provided.

Family Literacy

The Family Literacy (FL) Program meets three days a week and combines adult education, individual goal setting and advocacy. The educational component is provided by a certified teacher through St. Louis Public Schools Adult Education and Literacy program; individual goal setting and advocacy is provided by a part time Family and Economic Advocate. Free childcare is provided on site while parents engage in services. FL currently operates at ROW's city office and operates Monday through Wednesday, 1:00 to 4:30 pm. Orientation for new students typically occurs on the second Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday of each month from. Students are provided with individualized tutoring for as long as they need it in order to obtain their educational goals, dependent upon availability of volunteer tutors. Students receive one free bus tickets for each day they attend class.

Rebuilding Lives

Rebuilding Lives launched in July, 2016 a a result of funding secured through the Mental Health Board. The program is ROW's first clinical programming, which provides Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) to those identifying as women who have experienced trauma. In addition to CPT, the program offers wrap-arond supports from other ROW programs, such as REAP/IDA and Family Strengths. The program recieves internal referrals only (from ROW or Family Resource Center's Family Treatment program).

Implementation

Tips to Implementation/Keys to Success: The ROW program credits the factors below as keys to success:

Initial investment and buy-in from community partners.
Knowledgeable staff who understand the role of financial education and economic independence in mitigating domestic violence.
Staff who have flexibility and control over their schedules and feel supported by management, which reduces staff turnover.
Strengths-based curriculum that removes the stigma of being poor.
Staff who use a peer-to-peer learning model in which everyone has something to teach and everyone has something to learn.
Conducting program evaluations and including evaluators from the beginning.
Making constant programmatic changes based on what is learned.

Challenges:

Funding, especially to implement the REAP Training Institute.
Growing the program by hiring key staff.

Tools

The following tools are associated with Redevelopment Opportunities for Women's Economic Action Program. Please send us an email at upitoolkit@blhtech.com for more information about these tools.

Overview of ROW's Economic Action Program

Overview of REAP Curriculum

ROW's Financial Education for Women Schedule of Classes

Domestic Violence, Economic Abuse, and Implications of a Program for Building Economic Resources for Low-Income Women: Findings from Interviews with Participants in a Women's Economic Action Program

Organizing for Economic Empowerment of Battered Women: Women's Savings Accounts

Transitional Services

Berrien County EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) Initiative

Overview

Description

Implementation

Tools

Community Action Partnership (CAP) of Riverside County Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Program

Overview

Description

Implementation

Tools

EarnBenefits Program, Atlanta

Overview

Description

Implementation

Tools

EarnBenefits Program, New York City

Overview

Description

Implementation

Tools

Emergency Child Care Assistance Program

Overview

Description

Implementation

Tools

Faith Connections

Overview

Description

Implementation

Tools

Family Self Sufficiency

Overview

Description

Implementation

Tools

King County Jobs Access Reverse Commute Transportation Program

Overview

Description

Implementation

Tools

King County Jobs Access Transportation Program

Overview

Description

Implementation

Tools

Redevelopment Opportunities for Women's Economic Action Program

Overview

Description

Implementation

Tools

Connect With Us

OFA Initiatives