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ORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: June 27, 2002
Action Agenda
Item No. S—
SUBJECT: County Work First Designation
DEPARTMENT: Social Services PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nancy Coston, ext. 2800
Gwen Price, ext. 2885
TELEPHONE NUMBERS:
Hillsborough 732-8181
Chapel Hill 968-4501
Durham 688-7331
Mebane 336-227-2031
PURPOSE: To decide whether or not to request a standard program or an electing program
designation for Orange County's Work First activities.
BACKGROUND: Work First is North Carolina's cash assistance and support program for low-
income families and is funded by the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
(TANF) block grant, state, and county funds. North Carolina General Statue 108A-27 requires
county commissioners to decide whether a county wants to be standard or electing and the
appointment of local leaders to assist in the development of the county Work First Plan. In
1997, counties developed the first biennial Work First Block Grant plans. On October 21,
1997, the Orange County Board of Commissioners voted for a standard Work First
designation. In December 1997, the Orange County's first Work First Block Grant Plan was
submitted to the NC Division of Social Services outlining the county's strategies for the
implementation of Work First.
In North Carolina, twenty-one counties were originally designated as electing status and the
remaining 79 were standard. Electing counties are able to set all of their own Work First
policies, including eligibility criteria and benefit levels. Standard counties follow a uniform set
of Work First policies set by the legislature and have maximum flexibility in designing services.
Under the standard countydesignation, the State is responsible for the payment of cash
assistance to all eligible families, regardless of growth in the number of families needing
assistance. Under the electing county designation, the county receives an allocation for cash
payments. If the caseload declines, the county may reinvest these funds in services to
eligible families. If the caseload increases, however, the county would be responsible for
extra costs of the payments. The experiences of electing counties have not generally been
different in terms of outcomes for families and some of the original electing counties have now
become standard counties.
This fall, all counties must indicate their decision to operate either a standard or electing
county plan for the next two year. The county designation must be approved by the County
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Commissioners and reported to the NC Division of Social Services by August 16, 2002. Each
county will then develop a Work First Block Grant Plan to be adopted by the county
commissioners.
The Social Services Board voted on June 18, 2002 to recommend to the Board of
Commissioners that Orange County request a standard designation. The Social Services
Board believes that there is sufficient flexibility as a standard county to design services and
innovative strategies for transitioning families from welfare to work.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The County would receive the Work First County Block Grant under
either designation. There would be no financial impact of continuing as a standard county.
RECOMMENDATION: The Manager recommends that the Board approve the Standard
program designation status for Work First for the-Qounty.