This summer, the Department of Human Services is engaging in a redesign of DC’s Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program—with a particular emphasis on employment services, since the contracts for these services are set to expire in October 2010.
The Fair Budget Coalition has issued this TANF Redesign Recommendations Sign-on Letter in response. D.C. LEARNs is strongly encouraging D.C. LEARNs members (and others) to review the letter and consider signing on. These recommendations are the result of the work of a subset of Fair Budget Coalition members who participated in a series of roundtables with DHS staff, TANF recipients, and other non-profit and for-profit providers this spring. The purpose of collecting sign-ons is to demonstrate that there is broad community support for these improvements to the DC TANF program.
Among the many recommendations included, the letter encourages DHS to make use of the opportunities in federal law to provide vocational Education and other educational services as countable work activities. Federal law allows TANF recipients to participate vocational education as a countable work activity for 12 months. This can include basic education, ESL programs, certificate programs, two-year community college degrees, or bachelor’s degrees. Time spent on homework for these activities also counts. This flexibility would likely allow more TANF recipients to participate in adult education and count that activity towards the work participation rate for 12 months. Additionally, other educational activities could also be counted towards federal work participation rates as long as the individual was also participating in a work or work-like activity. As noted in this letter, while this approach might not work for all families, there could be some who would benefit from combining education and work activities.
If you or your organization would like to sign on, please contact Katie Kerstetter at the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute. They will be collecting sign-ons until June 21st.
