June 2000: W-2 Is Big Business agencies, which stand to make huge amounts of money off of welfare reform. receiveno wages from their employers, just their welfare check plus Meanwhile, gov. http://www.socialistaction.org/news/200006/w2.html
Extractions: W-2 is Big Business By ANALISA DREW MILWAUKEE-Last month, I wrote an article about the outcome of the implementation of welfare reform ("W-2") and the suffering it has wreaked throughout Wisconsin and particularly Milwaukee. This month I would like to attempt to unravel the tangled web that is W-2 and expose the big money forces behind it. It comes as no surprise that the primary motive behind welfare reform is profit. The whole W-2 system is implemented and run by private agencies, which stand to make huge amounts of money off of welfare reform. Statewide in Wisconsin, W-2 agencies are projected to receive a total of 66 million in unrestricted profits, with 26 million going to agencies in Milwaukee County. We, the people and taxpayers, have no say over how these profits should be spent. The private agencies are held accountable to no one. They are not required to document what they are using their profits for. Under this screwed-up system, the less effective an agency is, the more they stand to profit. It's called a "light-touch" policy, meaning: don't ask, don't tell. Agents are not allowed to tell the welfare recipients of benefits they are allowed to have unless directly asked by the recipient.
Jan 1997- Agencies To Share Telecenters gov@INTERNET. State revenue agencies step up their use of imaging to cut processingcosts and increase tax collection. welfare reform The Illinois Approach. http://www.govtech.net/magazine/gt/1997/jan/jantoc/jantoc.phtml
Extractions: technology news and events. PRODUCT WATCH Product Focus: Network Operating Systems * Bruce Gavin Product News Kaveh Ghaemian COLUMNS Notes From the Field Access COVER STORIES Intranets Add Life to Legacy Soft Border, Hard Data Can Governments Get Along? GEO INFO CAD Provides Hurricane Relief Bill McGarigle A dispatch management system is helping Wilmington,
Welfare Reform organizations, research groups, and government agencies provide users can downloadthe complete text of gov. George Pataki's official welfare reform proposal. http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/workforce/welfare/wfnet.html
Extractions: Welfare Reform Information on the Internet The following links to not-for-profit organizations, research groups, and government agencies provide users with a variety of positions and opinions on welfare reform legislation. The information on these sites is solely the responsibility of the groups that sponsor the web sites. Inclusion of these links on our web site does not imply support or endorsement by the New York State Education Department. Please communicate directly with the cited group to express your own views. An extensive site created by the UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research. Contains many articles and policy papers, the online journal
Redirector mail address is wmarton@osaspe.dhhs.gov two primary issues that TANF agencies mustaddress People with Disabilities Changes Since welfare reform which reviews http://www.urban.org/welfare/wel-wrk-2k.html
2002.04.2: (Fact Sheet) HHS Role In Child Support Enforcement information on the President's welfare reform proposal, including at http//www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases andstate law enforcement agencies, have received http://fatherhood.hhs.gov/factsheets/fact20020402.htm
Extractions: April 2, 2002 Contact: ACF Press Office Overview: The Child Support Enforcement Program is a joint federal, state and local partnership to ensure that parents provide support to their children. The program involves 54 separate state and territory systems, each with its own unique laws and procedures. The program is usually run by state and local human service agencies, often with the help of prosecuting attorneys and other law enforcement officials, as well as officials of family or domestic relations courts. At the federal level, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides policy guidance, technical assistance, training and funding to states, operates the Federal Parent Locator Service, which uses computer matching to locate non-custodial parents in order to establish and enforce child support orders, and provides grants to states for child access and visitation services. BACKGROUND The Child Support Enforcement Program was established in 1975 under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. Each state runs a child support program, either in the human services department, department of revenue, or district attorneys office, often with the help of prosecuting attorneys, other law enforcement agencies, and officials of family or domestic relations courts. The program provides four major services: locating non-custodial parents, establishing paternity, establishing child support obligations, and collecting child support for families.
ACF - Welfare Reform Official office maintains a clearinghouse of guides, documents, statistics and links regarding welfare issues and tracking reform movements. http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/news/welfare
ACF - Contacts coordinators of refugee programs; National Voluntary agencies; International Organizations. welfareReform State Links Complete listing of state welfare links. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/contacts.html
Extractions: Sometimes you may not know whom to contact regarding your concerns. Often, when it comes to child, youth, or family issues, a state, local, tribal, or private organization may be better able to provide the information or service you need. Sometimes, you may need the service immediately. This page provides critical phone numbers that you may need (or may want to save for later), as well as links to state contacts for child and family services. You may also find links to state policies and rules about programs serving children and families. If you wish to contact an Administration for Children and Families (ACF) staff person about your state, territory, or tribe's services to children and families, you can find links to ACF contacts. In most cases, if you choose to contact ACF, you should contact an ACF staff person in a regional office near you. You will find links here to reach ACF staff.
Welfare To Work Highlights held late last winter in Denver, attracted 17 States, five Federal agencies andseveral welfareto-Work TEGL 15-01 transmits Revised Questions and Answers http://wtw.doleta.gov/
Extractions: Directing business, adults, youth, dislocated workers, and workforce professionals to training and employment services. www.doleta.gov Search: Advanced Search Find it! in DOL document.write(doClock("W0",",%20","M0","%20","D0",",%20","Y0")); Home > Welfare to Work Highlights Formula grants Competitive grants Policy Resources Welfare to Work Highlights Select your destination: WtW Laws and Regulations WtW Questions and Answers Technical Assistance Page Employer Resources WtW Rural Page Federal Partners Reports and Publications Fact Sheets Directives (TEGLs and TEINs) Related Sites WtW Validation Self-Audit Frequently Asked Questions Active WtW Competitive Grantees Formally Requested to Begin WtW Validation Self-Audits The Department of Health and Human Services has finalized and released two reports as part of its ongoing, congressionally mandated national evaluation of the Welfare-to-Work program. The first report, prepared by Mathematica Policy, Inc., and the Urban Institute is entitled "The Implementation of the Welfare-to-Work Grants Program" and represents findings from the process and implementation analysis of the HHS evaluation. The second report, prepared by Mathematica Policy, Inc., the Urban Institute and Support Services International evaluates the costs of the WtW program. To access Report #1 - HHS' WtW Process and Implementation Evaluation Report, click
Welfare Reform - Executive Summary Through collaborative efforts and contracts with state and community agenciesresponsible for welfare reform Cooperative Extension has assisted in http://www.reeusda.gov/4h/welfare/welfsum.htm
Extractions: The goal of this project was to identify: Extension's role in welfare reform initiatives; Cooperative Extension curriculum and training materials used to maximize the strengths of families affected by welfare reform; effective collaborative efforts and evaluation strategies used to document program impacts of welfare reform participants; and future research questions and University research efforts. This project was funded through a mini-grant from the Linking Family and Community Strengths Conference held at Louisville, Kentucky, in June 1996 by The Southern Rural Development Center at Mississippi State University. A survey instrument was developed in the fall of 1996 and the questionnaire was distributed through direct mail to state Extension Service directors and admnistrators in all 50 states and territories as well as administrators of home economics at state universities and land-grant colleges. The questionnaire was also distributed electronically through e-mail to family resource management specialists, community resource development specialists, and Extension educators on Famnet (Family Network). Of the 878 questionnaires distributed, one-fourth were distributed by direct mail and the remainder were distributed electronically. Ten percent responded to the survey (n 89) of which a majority (62%) responded electronically through e-mail or fax . Successful educational programs for families affected by welfare reform require multi-disciplinary education programs designed with input from program participants and supporting agencies. The Cooperative Extension System throughout this country is in a position to respond and assist in shaping welfare reform at a local, state, and national level. Cooperative Extension is a community based educational arm of the land-grant universities that has successfully worked in conjunction with community agencies, organizations, and government at the local, state, and national level.
Public Policy a useful site for tracking the progress of welfare reform. provides assessments ofchanges in federal welfare law http//www.ssa.gov/ Like all other government http://www.wadsworth.com/politicalscience_d/special_features/ext/amgov/public_po
Best Practices In Welfare Reform welfare reform (General) The Administration for Children and of local partnershipsamong welfare and workforce See http//wtw.doleta.gov/wwpartnerships/. http://www.welfareinfo.org/bestpracticeswelfarereformresource.htm
Extractions: /* You may give each page an identifying name, server, and channel on the next lines. */ var pageName = "Page Name" var server = "Server" var channel = "Channel" /**** DO NOT ALTER ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE! ****/ var code = ' '; Best Practices in Welfare Reform Many federal and local agencies, corporations, and non-profit organizations have begun to collect information on initiatives they have deemed to be best practices. These profiles allow practitioners working on similar issues to discover what works and what lessons can be learned from colleagues wrestling with similar challenges in program implementation. While there is no single definition of a best practice, they are usually examples of cutting-edge or innovative programs, identified as having a significant positive impact on those they are intended to serve. A sampling of best practice sites of interest to policy staff and practitioners working on welfare reform issues follows.
Current R&E Projects Officer James V. Dolson Internet jdolson@acf.dhhs.gov. information on wellconceivedrural welfare-to-work be used by state and local TANF agencies and others http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/opre/utiliz.htm
Extractions: Internet: jdolson@acf.dhhs.gov Description: This multi-year national evaluation is designed to learn how best to help TANF and other low-income rural families move from welfare to work. The evaluation will lead to increased information on well-conceived rural welfare-to-work strategies and lessons about the operational challenges and methods to address them that can be used by state and local TANF agencies and others. During the initial phase of this initiative, 10 states received planning grants to develop strategies targeted to serve rural TANF populations. These states received assistance from a Federal technical assistance contractor. In FY 2001, MPR was selected to evaluate the implementation phase of the demonstration and the first participating state, Illinois, began implementation in a five-county site. It is expected that four states/sites will participate in the national demonstration and evaluation. Major Research Questions: What types and packages of services are provided under the Rural Welfare-to-Work project, and how do they compare with services already available under TANF or other funding? What are the issues and challenges associated with implementing and operating the service packages and policy approaches studied? What are the net impacts of selected approaches under the project on employment and on families' well being? What are the net costs of the programs, and do the programs/benefits outweigh the costs? What strategies should policymakers and program managers consider in designing approaches to improve the efficacy of welfare-to-work strategies for families in rural areas?
Bay Area Welfare Reform Network welfare reform Networkan electronic clearinghouse of federal, state and local informationon welfare reform. to this site send E-mail to LauraS@abag.ca.gov. http://www.abag.ca.gov/bayarea/wreform/
Extractions: Welfare reform is one of the top issues California and its local governments currently face. The California Legislative Analyst's Office estimates that the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 will result in a net reduction of $6.8 billion in federal funds to California during its first six years of implementation. As part of our ongoing efforts to help members tackle priority issues, the Association of Bay Area Governments created the Welfare Reform Network-an electronic clearinghouse of federal, state and local information on welfare reform. Look for our links to relevant publications, organizations, and documents. We welcome your suggestions for additions or improvements to this site:
Plnws4 for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grants http//www.apwa.org/reform/tanf.htm planState Guidance for TANF http//www.acf.dhhs.gov/news/welfare/guide.htm http://www.fta.dot.gov/library/planning/ftafhwa/plnws4.html
Extractions: Welfare Reform technical guide to job access partnership data, and planning issues and applications, drawing upon regional approaches to identifing job access needs and measuring the costs and benefits of several transit alternatives as they re late to providing access to employment opportunities. Contact: Sean Libberton (202-366-0055). Job Access Planning Challenge Grants, Round II Another series of 3-5 FTA Job Access Planning challenge grants; these grants will be targeted to MPOs, and planning efforts will be documented by recipient agencies. FTA is developing guidanc e to its regions on grantee selection. Contact: Sean Libberton (202-366-0055). For further assistance with the above information, contact Sean Libberton at 202-366-0055.
Welfare Reform Kentucky.gov The Official State government site for the LIFETIME LIMIT, End longterm welfare dependence Meet federal http//cfc.state.ky.us/reform/ktap.asp. http://cfc.state.ky.us/reform/ktap.asp
Extractions: Commonwealth of Kentucky Cabinet for Families and Children Service Regions Agencies What's New Feedback ... Contact Us Help With Adoption Adult Abuse Child Abuse Child Care Services ... Weatherization Assistance Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program (K-TAP): A Summary Work Self-Sufficiency Principles Activities GOALS Provide tools to families to become self-sustaining Create opportunities to earn a family wage Focus on individual needs and regional distinctions Promote education Partner with community Partner with families Provide opportunities for education and work experience Enlist the aid of other state agencies, local government and the private sector to expand work opportunities Vary the work program according to region Require completion of a Transitional Assistance Agreement (TAA) APPLICANT
Projects: Welfare-to-Work the key participants involved in implementing welfare reform in each TransportationAffordability MTCs Regional welfare to Work by email at ebaker@mtc.ca.gov http://www.mtc.ca.gov/projects/welfare_to_work/wwindex.htm
Extractions: Since the passage of the federal welfare reform legislation, MTC has embarked upon a number of initiatives related to the implementation of welfare reform in the Bay Area, focusing on the role of transportation in helping persons move from welfare-to-work. MTC's role has been to assist transportation providers, social service agency staff, Workforce Investment Boards, childcare advocates, community-based organizations and other stakeholders in identifying transportation-related barriers for the CalWORKs population as well as developing workable solutions to removing these barriers. Below is a status report of the various MTC-initiated welfare-to-work projects as well as a brief description of other MTC projects that may provide benefits to the CalWORKs population in the region. Regional Transportation Working Group MTC has created a staff-level working group consisting of transportation providers (transit agencies, rideshare agencies, paratransit providers) and social service agencies from each of the nine counties along with other key stakeholders as described above. This working group meets monthly to review the status of welfare-to-work transportation planning at the county level, to share ideas for local implementation and to identify planning and implementation activities that may be best approached from a multi-county or regional perspective. MTC has disseminated information on state and federal welfare-to-work funding opportunities related to transportation (e.g., DOL and TEA-21 Job Access and Reverse Commute grant programs) to members of the working group for use in their local planning and implementation.
WR&B: Resources city best practices related to welfare reform and workforce Federal government Agenciestop Administration for Children and HHS) www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/opa http://www.brook.edu/wrb/resources/default.htm
United States House Of Representatives, 108th Congress, 1st Session Official web site for Representative Jim Matheson (D UT).Category Regional North America House of Representatives Members Jim Matheson voted for a welfare reform package that he says would continue the successfulmodel that has helped thousands of Utahns move off the welfare roles http://matheson.house.gov/
Extractions: Representative's Web Sites... Abercrombie, Neil, Hawaii, 1st Acevedo-Vila, Anibal, Puerto Rico, At Large Ackerman, Gary, New York, 5th Aderholt, Robert, Alabama, 4th Alexander, Rodney, Louisiana, 5th Allen, Tom, Maine, 1st Akin, Todd, Missouri, 2nd Andrews, Robert E., New Jersey, 1st Baca, Joe, California, 43rd Bachus, Spencer, Alabama, 6th Baird, Brian, Washington, 3rd Baker, Richard, Louisiana, 6th Baldwin, Tammy, Wisconsin, 2nd Ballance, Frank, North Carolina, 1st Ballenger, Cass, North Carolina, 10th Barrett, J.Gresham, South Carolina, 3rd Bartlett, Roscoe, Maryland, 6th Barton, Joe, Texas, 6th Bass, Charles, New Hampshire, 2nd
Www.usda.gov/news/releases/1997/12/0447 welfare reform lifted those barriers, and state welfare offices can now work with Accessthe USDA Home Page on the World Wide Web at http//www.usda.gov http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/1997/12/0447
Extractions: GORE ANNOUNCES ARREST OF 2,199 FUGITIVES Release No. 0447.97 Johna Pierce (202) 720-4623 johna.pierce@usda.gov Dianne Smith (202) 720-6915 diannes@oig.usda.gov VICE PRESIDENT GORE ANNOUNCES ARREST OF 2,199 FUGITIVES IN NATIONWIDE STING WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 1997More than 2,000 fugitive felonsmost of whom were illegally receiving food stampshave been arrested through a nationwide sting operation, Vice President Gore today announced. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, working with local law enforcement officials in communities across the country, ran "Operation Talon" for the last eleven monthsresulting in the arrests of 2,199 fugitives and in the savings of millions in taxpayer dollars. "Today, some of the country's most violent criminals are back behind bars where they belong, thanks to Operation Talon'," said Gore. "The national Food Stamp Program is designed to help decent, law-abiding citizens get back on their feet during times of need, not to help murderers and rapists stay on the streets." The most dangerous fugitives were targeted in this stingthose wanted for violent crimes such as murder, kidnapping, child molestation, drug violations, armed robbery, and rape. "Operation Talon" was made possible by the "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996," commonly known as the welfare reform law. The welfare reform law allows local food stamp offices to release the addresses of fugitives wanted for felonies to law enforcement officers. " Operation Talon' is part of USDA's ongoing effort to ensure integrity in the Food Stamp Program," said Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman. "We will continue working with our Inspector General to encourage local law enforcement and social service agencies to initiate this sort of effort in their communities." Before welfare reform, food stamp offices were prohibited under confidentiality laws from releasing food stamp recipient information. Welfare reform lifted those barriers, and state welfare offices can now work with law enforcement agencies through initiatives like "Operation Talon" to put these fugitives back in jail. The first apprehensions of "Operation Talon" took place in Louisville and Lexington, KY, in June 1997, when 85 fugitive felons were arrested. The ongoing operation has expanded to 24 metropolitan areas. Vice President Gore was joined at the White House briefing by Secretary Glickman, USDA Inspector General Roger Viadero and Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Shirley Watkins, along with prosecutors, county sheriffs, chiefs of police, and other law enforcement officials responsible for the success of "Operation Talon." -more- -2- "The cooperation among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies along with state social services agencies was tremendous," said Inspector General Viadero, who directed the operation. "We have had great success in apprehending fugitives from justice as a result of these matches. This is a prime example of the results that can emerge when agencies at all levels combine forces to reach a common goal." "Ensuring that needy Americans have enough to eat is the foundation of our food assistance programs," Under Secretary Watkins said. "At the same time, USDA's Food and Nutrition Service will continue to cooperate on initiatives like Operation Talon' in order to maintain public confidence in the Food Stamp Program." # NOTE: USDA news releases and media advisories are available on the Internet. Access the USDA Home Page on the World Wide Web at http://www.usda.gov
