| Working Out of Poverty Report | ACF Welfare Reform Information |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, July 28, 1998
Contact: Michael Kharfen, (202) 401-9215
REPORT RECOMMENDS STATE WELFARE REFORM STRATEGIES
HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala today joined the National Governors
Association (NGA) in releasing a report providing recommendations
and models to help states design welfare-to-work programs to emphasize
jobs for welfare recipients that will last and pay more.
The report, "Working Out of Poverty: Employment Retention
and Career Advancement for Welfare Recipients," prepared
by the NGA Center for Best Practices with funding from HHS, examines
some of the lessons learned from research and identifies promising
state welfare-to-work strategies. For successful programs, the
report concludes, states need to assess where jobs are available,
work with employers on their needs for reliable workers, enhance
job retention by securing support services for the new workers,
and explore careers that offer wage advancement.
"The Clinton administration is committed to making welfare
reform a success. We measure that success in large part by parents
on welfare getting, keeping and earning more in jobs," said
Secretary Shalala. "This report, prepared by the NGA at the
request of HHS, offers strong principles and innovative programs
that states are doing effectively now."
As many welfare recipients leave the rolls, a key challenge for
states is ensuring that they have stable employment so they won't
come back. States are likely to be most successful at promoting
job retention and career advancement if they respond to both the
needs of recipients and employers, the report concludes. The report
also outlines several approaches for states to consider to promote
job retention among newly hired welfare recipients including:
ongoing case management to help participants navigate the workplace,
household problems, and the social service network; effective
mentoring programs; supportive short-term payments or loans for
'emergency' situations that might otherwise lead to job loss and
reliance on welfare; improved access to support services, such
as child care, transportation, health care, and housing; and expanded
use of federal and state earned income tax credits to make work
pay. It also urges states to promote career advancement among
welfare recipients by changing the design of government-sponsored
job skill development programs to reflect a strong "Work
First" orientation, improve the access to education and training
outside of work, promote learning at the workplace, and help workers
access career ladders.
"We know from HHS and NGA reports that states have started
to make the investment in the critical supports for welfare reform
to succeed, such as child care, transportation and on-the-job
training, and build partnerships with private employers, but more
needs to be done," said Olivia A. Golden, HHS assistant secretary
for children and families. "The greatest challenge for states
is to help those parents with the hardest obstacles for employment
to have the opportunity for self-sufficiency by using all available
resources, such as the Department of Labor's Welfare to Work grants,
Access to Jobs Initiative and state funds."
"This report offers creative strategies and promising programs
that can help states compete for the new High Performance Bonus.
This bonus to states that move more recipients into jobs, retain
jobs and earn more will be awarded to the states for the first
time this fall," added Golden.
In its new technical assistance role, HHS plans to provide more
support to states with reports, conferences and other collaborative
efforts to promote creative strategies and promising welfare-to-work
programs. The report is available on the ACF web site: www.acf.dhhs.gov.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are
available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
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