In October of 1996 two Acts (one Federal and one State) went into law that dramatically changed welfare programs in the State of Florida and around the country. The October 1996 The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), Public Law 104-193, eliminated the open-ended federal entitlement program, Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), and replaced it with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. The TANF legislation changed the nation’s welfare system from the receipt of cash assistance as an entitlement to one that requires work in exchange for time-limited assistance. The TANF block grant also included flexibility in funding that allows states to develop programs to meet one of the four purposes of TANF:
•Provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives;
•End the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage;
•Prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies; and
•Encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.
In October 1996, Florida enacted the Work and Gain Economic Self-Sufficiency (WAGES) Act. The Act was developed to implement the requirements of TANF and to emphasize work, self-sufficiency, and personal responsibility as well as time-limited assistance. In October of 2000, the Florida Workforce Innovation Act, Senate Bill 2050, was passed. It substantially redefined Florida’s welfare delivery system by replacing the former WAGES program with the Welfare Transition (WT) program. This legislation also consolidated and streamlined the state workforce and TANF programs under one board, Workforce Florida, Inc. (WFI). The Act created the Agency for Workforce Innovation (AWI), which provides administrative and program guidance for workforce programs. Currently workforce, welfare, and employment services are delivered by the 24 Regional Workforce Boards (RWBS) via the local One-Stop Career Centers.
The goal of Florida’s WT program is to emphasize work, self-sufficiency, and personal responsibility; as well as enable welfare recipients to move from welfare to work. To accomplish this goal, Florida has developed a strong support structure to deliver needed services. This structure includes the following programs and services: child care and transportation assistance; substance and mental health treatment; child support enforcement programs; diversion programs to reduce domestic violence and child abuse; diversions to prevent families from going on welfare; relocation assistance; severance payments; job training and employment programs.
The below menu provides access to Welfare Tranisiton program information. If you have questions regarding the information provided to you through this website, please contact us.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welfare Transition (WT) additional program information:
•Federal Legislation
•Program Information and Reports
•Resources
•State Guidance and Legislation
•Questions and Answers (Q&A)
•Training Information
Hiç yorum yok:
Yorum Gönder