ACF Asst. Secretary George Sheldon Visits Atlanta

The event was held at the Goodwill Career Services Centerin Decatur. Goodwill of North Georgia and the Division of Child Support
Services (DCSS) are the leadpartners involved with the project which is known as Good Transitions.Secretary Sheldon, along with staff
from Washington, DC and theregional ACF office in Atlanta, met with representatives of the variouspartners involved and received an
overview of what Good Transitions is doing with theEnhanced Transitional Jobs Demonstration Grant. The Secretary asked many questions of the partners as well. The group also visited a classroom which gave Secretary Sheldon an opportunity to dialog directly with several of the
program participants. Taking off his jacket, he asked several questions. He and other officials present seemed pleasantly surprised by the frank and candid responses from the participants who shared about their personal situations and offered feedback on the program. The Good Transitions team received a $5.7 million grant award to study the impact of transitional jobs on noncustodialparents and ex-offenders. Good Transitions is one of just seven grant awardees in the nation to receive a portion of $40 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Labor to help individuals with significant barriers to employment find work. U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis was in Atlanta in October to attend a symposium for partners involved in the grant. Goodwill and DCSS will lead a host of partners in developing training and programs to help low-income non-custodial parents and ex-offenders find jobs. Other partners include the Center for Working Families,United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta, State Board of Pardons and Paroles,Georgia Department of Corrections,Urban League of Greater Atlanta andMorehouse Research Institute – Morehouse College. Through a myriad of job training programs and services, Good Transitions will focus this collaboration in DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Clayton and Cobb counties. The program is dedicated to helping individuals to complete paid transitional job experience
leading to unsubsidized employment, the opportunity to earn  competitive wages and the potential for career advancement. The Enhanced Transitional Jobs Demonstration Grant is a four year study and provides 500 transitional jobs with the goal of leading to permanent employment. All participants in the Good Transitions program come from the DCSS Fatherhood Program. For additional information about the Enhanced Transitional Jobs Demonstration Grant, contact Robert Nibbs at 404-463-1731 or rlnibbs@dhr.state.ga.us.