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Appendix A
Summary of Program Services:
Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD), the Montgomery County Jobs Center, and the Fremont Family Resource Center (FRC)
These three organizations exemplify how agencies can work toward offering services to low-income families by collaborating with community partners as described in Chapter 7.
| Agency type | Community-based human services agency |
|---|---|
| Budget | $107,558,845 in fiscal year 2002 |
| Funding | State, federal, city, and private foundation funds and individual contributions |
| Population served | Low-income individuals including many subgroups (welfare recipients, foster parents, the elderly, low-wage workers) |
| Mission | To promote self-help for low-income people and neighborhoods |
| Branches/ facilities | Central office: provides administrative
support |
| Programs, services |
|
| Work supports | No direct enrollment but assists clients with applications and other case management services; also involved in citywide EITC campaign |
| Partners | State and local public welfare, workforce development, economic and community development, and housing agencies; universities and colleges; community-based organizations; private employers; schools; and many other local partners |
| Strengths in delivering services according to the guiding principles | ABCD offers many of the retention and advancement services that low-income working families need, in neighborhood-based, family-friendly settings. It also has experience providing pre- and postemployment assistance through its welfare-to-work career development programs — Work Pathways Project and Pathways to Success — funded by U.S. Department of Labor. These efforts included support services (child care, transportation assistance), education and training, and job development and placement. With a variety of education and training options offered through a number of facilities (including Urban College, which ABCD helped create) and a college-prep program targeted to adults, ABCD has supports in place to help working low-income adults access career advancement opportunities. |
| Challenges in delivering services according to the guiding principles | As a private agency, ABCD cannot directly enroll families, determine final eligibility, or speed up the application process for public work supports (although it can assist with filing for the EITC or help with work support applications). Also, organizations interested in replicating the ABCD service delivery model would likely need to emphasize partnerships with other service providers rather than build the comprehensive infrastructure that ABCD has developed, since it has taken nearly half a century for ABCD to build its vast network of community programs and services. |
| Agency type | Community-based human services agency |
|---|---|
| Budget | $700,000,000 in fiscal year 2001 |
| Funding | State TANF funds, WIA, and county funds; county funds provide flexibility and also pay the salary for the director of the center |
| Population served | Some means-tested services and supports, some universal; some programs targeted to specific populations (working-aged adults, youth) |
| Mission | To serve as a resource for labor market exchange and workforce development while providing individuals and families with financial, medical, and other support services essential to strengthening the quality of life |
| Branches/ facilities | One 400,000 square foot facility (6 acres) with single general reception area, unified telephone system, and child care services on-site for customers; includes a multiagency resource room for clients and employers |
| Programs, services |
|
| Work supports | On-site enrollment in TANF cash assistance, food stamps, Medicaid, child care, and WIA Individual Training Accounts |
| Partners | 47 on-site partners including required WIA partners and other public agencies, community-based organizations, and education and training providers; also partners with private employers |
| Strengths in delivering services according to the guiding principles | Integrated service teams of case managers and mutually accepted case management protocol across partners allow for information-sharing and coordination of service delivery. The sheer size of the job center and the number of partners is a strength and a challenge. For example, staff have taken into account the difficulty of navigating the facility and available services by using a color-coded system of colored appointment cards that correspond to colored flags hanging in hallways that lead customers to their various destinations. Through the Targeted Community Based Collaborative (TCBC), the center contracts with 13 intermediary organizations that, in turn, work with over 70 community-based organizations to conduct outreach to “hard-to-reach” clients, including low-wage workers. The Partners’ Council represents the 47 on-site partners and meets frequently to share information, solve problems, and provide general oversight of the center. |
| Challenges in delivering services according to the guiding principles | Unemployed job center customers have greater support service options pre- and post-placement than do low-wage workers. In particular, there are few career advancement services for working clients, with the exception of small programs, such as a partnership with Sinclair Community College, that connect low-wage workers with short-term training programs and services. While the TCBC is reaching out to some low-wage workers and other special populations (such as the hard-to-employ), the job center has the potential to be overwhelming for community residents to navigate, given its sheer size and the number of service offerings — this is especially challenging for working parents who have competing demands on their time. |
| Agency type | City-sponsored organization (the city owns the facility, and all core staff are employees in the city’s Human Services Department); operates on a collaborative model with participation and decisionmaking by all 22 partners; has an affiliated nonprofit organization (Fremont Family Resource Center, Inc.) that supports it and other city programs serving families and children |
|---|---|
| Budget | $1,769,184, which includes capital maintenance and debt service costs |
| Funding | City of Fremont, federal Community Development Block Grant, rent fees from partners, and private funding |
| Population served | Families, individuals, and children |
| Mission | To improve the quality of life and strengthen individuals, teens, and families through services and activities |
| Branches/ facilities | A patio connects two adjacent buildings: one for employment and economic services (workforce development agency, welfare-to-work services, housing discrimination) and one for mental health and social services |
| Programs, services | More than 100 services and programs including Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and nutrition, employment and social services, immigration, veterans and disability services, housing assistance, child care referrals, workforce development (state Employment Development Department and satellite One-Stop center), and youth counseling and services; provides on-site drop-in child care for customers; through a TANF-funded pilot program (the Family Service Team, a multiagency, multidisciplinary effort) offers intensive case management and employment services for current welfare recipients who have multiple barriers to work |
| Work supports | Through the on-site welfare office, access to TANF, food stamps, Medicaid, subsidized child care, and WIA training vouchers; in 2003, launched an EITC and Child Tax Credit campaign through a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, helping 288 families to secure more than $426,000 in federal tax refunds, of which $250,000 were in tax credits |
| Partners | 22 partners including state, county, local, private, and public organizations; major employment services provided by the county welfare office, a WIA One-Stop, and the state Employment Development Department |
| Strengths in delivering services according to the guiding principles | The FRC has a strong family focus, with the majority of clients being low-wage workers, and it serves as a model for other organizations interested in serving the entire family, not just individual customers. A strong “no wrong door” policy is supported by all partners, and regular cross-agency meetings reinforce this message. Referrals across agencies happen frequently, and staff typically accompany clients to the new program to ensure that referrals are followed up. Centralized case management services help clients navigate multiple partner agencies; these services are provided in 11 languages. The collaboration of partner organizations is a noteworthy feature: Cross-agency teams of staff meet monthly to undertake coordination and planning activities in various service delivery areas. |
| Challenges in delivering services according to the guiding principles | The FRC lacks a centralized system to collect and track demographic and service usage data across agencies, although some partners do enter into data-sharing agreements. There is no on-site representation of community colleges or training providers, though referral links do exist. The majority of on-site agencies operate from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., with workshops, educational programs, and support groups being offered in the evening; special programs like VITA are offered in the evening and on weekends. |
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