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ARRA TANF Emergency Contingency Fund: Non-Recurrent Short Term Benefits

ARRA TANF Emergency Contingency Fund: Non-Recurrent Short Term Benefits. Community Collaboration Opportunities KIDS Network General Membership Meeting October 7, 2009. Presented by Maria Gardner, Program Support Division Chief Department of Social Services. Background - ARRA.

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ARRA TANF Emergency Contingency Fund: Non-Recurrent Short Term Benefits

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  1. ARRA TANF Emergency Contingency Fund: Non-Recurrent Short Term Benefits Community Collaboration Opportunities KIDS Network General Membership Meeting October 7, 2009 Presented by Maria Gardner, Program Support Division Chief Department of Social Services

  2. Background - ARRA • Section 2101 of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) created a new Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Emergency Contingency Fund (ECF)

  3. Background - ARRA • Provides federal funding through September 2010 for spending increases in: • Basic assistance (CalWORKs grants) • Subsidized employment • Non-recurrent short-term benefits

  4. PWEX Coordinator provides Partner Agency with résumés for selection interviews Santa Maria: Victoria Arce, 614-1361 Santa Barbara: Cheryl Mikkonen, 681-4565 Lompoc: Gerardo Jimenez, 735-3261 Partner Agency identifies workplace need and contacts DSS PWEX Coordinator • DSS is employer of record and responsible for: • New Hire Paperwork • Background Check • County Physical (if needed) • Workers’ Comp Insurance Partner Agency makes selection and works with PWEX Coordinator to hire DSS establishes MOU with Partner Agency and Training Site Agreement with employee and Site Supervisor Partner Agency brings PWEX employee on board PWEX employee pay ranges from $8 to $12.49 per hour in a special Extra Help classification—placements are six months to one year long DSS PWEX: An ARRA-Funded Subsidized Employment Program

  5. Population Served • Expanded eligibility • “Needy families” include those with income less than 200% of the federal poverty level DSS Public Assistance Effects of Expanded Eligibility CalWORKs Food Stamps Medi-Cal From 5,000 to 17,000 Families

  6. Four TANF Goals • Assisting needy families so that children can be cared for in their own homes • Reducing the dependency of needy parents by promoting job preparation, work and marriage • Preventing out-of-wedlock pregnancies • Encouraging the formation and maintenance of two-parent families

  7. Non-Recurrent Short Term Benefits • Defined as payments that are “designed to deal with a specific crisis situation or episode of need” • Not intended to meet recurrent or ongoing needs • Will not extend beyond four months

  8. 80 Percent Federal Funding • DSS will be surveyed quarterly as to our intended use of TANF ECF funds for the upcoming months • DSS will submit a quarterly claim to the state detailing 100% of the TANF ECF program costs and will receive 80% reimbursement for services already rendered

  9. 20 Percent Matching Funds • DSS CalWORKs Single Allocation • Leveraging allocation for our new subsidized employment (PWEX) program • Third Party Option • Obtaining vendor discounts for tangible goods • Leveraging existing qualified community expenditures

  10. Examples of Ways TANF ARRA Funds Can Be Used • Vouchers for food, clothing, utilities • DSS “in-reach” strategy to distribute to needy families on public assistance by 12/31/09: • $100 grocery vouchers per family • $100 clothing voucher per child • DSS will be seeking 20% discount on the vouchers to meet the match requirement

  11. Examples of Ways TANF ARRA Funds Can Be Used • Provide extra food packages • Repair cars • Payment of past-due rent or utility bills • Payment of security deposits • Find new housing – if lost own home or rental home due to foreclosure • Improve energy efficiency of homes

  12. Forming ARRA/TANF ECF Partnerships Already serving TANF ECF defined “needy families”? Already meeting one of the four TANF goals? Can you meet the 20% required match? Already providing non-recurrent short term benefits?

  13. Next Steps • Seeking partnerships for TANF ECF qualified program expenditures • Interest deadline: December 1, 2009 for January – March 2010 quarter • Program funding ends September 30, 2010

  14. DSS Contact Information • Management Sponsor: • Maria Gardner, Program Support Division Chief • M.Gardner@SBCSocialServ.org • (805) 346-8289 • TANF ECF Coordinator: • Lina Bickel, Department Business Specialist • L.Bickel@SBCSocialServ.org • (805) 346-8213 • DSS Contracts: • Judy Doughty, Contracts Coordinator • J.Doughty@SBCSocialServ.org • (805) 346-7302

  15. TANF ECF Resources • Emergency Contingency Fund: Informational website https://emergencycontingencyfunds.wikispaces.com • Center for Law and Social Policy : TANF ECF Policy and Implementation Guidance Documents www.clasp.org

  16. TANF ECF Opportunities • Questions?

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