PROGRAM ASSESSES WELFARE NEEDS

Southeast Missouri State University is receiving millions of dollars to help get Southeast Missouri families off welfare.

Some $4.78 million is earmarked for Southeast's Bootheel Initiative for fiscal 2000 and will coordinate 24 programs to assist welfare recipients and their families.

The Bootheel Initiative garnered $720,000 in grant money when it began last fall. That funding cycle ends at the end of this month.

The second-year budget includes federal and state money distributed through several state agencies, including the Missouri Department of Social Services, the Department of Health, Department of Economic Development and Department of Transportation.

The Bootheel Initiative so far has focused largely on assessing the needs of those on welfare and efforts to get public transportation services going for individuals moving from welfare to work.

Welfare-to-work is a major issue in Southeast Missouri.

As of late July, there were 1,625 households receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families in six Bootheel counties alone -- Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot, Scott and Stoddard.

A fourth of those families were in Dunklin County.

Welfare recipients can receive state aid for a maximum of five years, excluding medical programs.

The clock started ticking when the new law took effect in Missouri on July 1, 1997.

Southeast's Bootheel Initiative recently issued a report on the obstacles that stand in the way of those seeking to make the transition from welfare to work.

Ninety-eight recipients of temporary assistance were interviewed by other welfare recipients, who were trained by the Bootheel Initiative staff.

Dr. Louis Veneziano directs the university's Regional Public Service Institute, whose primary effort so far has been to launch the Bootheel Initiative.

He said the results of the report have been circulated to officials with the Division of Family Services and state lawmakers.

One finding was that many of the welfare recipients surveyed showed no interest in participating in programs designed to help get them off welfare.

Many of those on welfare in the Bootheel have little education. But most said they weren't interested in taking Adult Basic Education programs, Veneziano said.

Although welfare recipients may not see the need, the study suggests programs be established to provide child care, at-work Adult Basic Education classes and job coaching.

Job coaching involves pairing a former welfare recipient with a current recipient on the job.

"The problem right now in today's economy isn't so much finding a job," Veneziano said. "There are a lot of jobs out there, but the difficult thing is job retention."

As to funding, the Bootheel Initiative will spend some of the money on staffing and programs. Other programs will be subcontracted to other agencies or organizations.

The Bootheel Initiative currently has four full-time employees and plans to hire three more soon.

Within a year, the full-time staff likely will total some 10 people, Veneziano said.

Dr. Paul Keys is dean of the College of Health and Human Services. He helped set up the Bootheel Initiative.

Keys said the university's goal is to be an "engaged university."

Keys said welfare-to-work programs won't succeed without efforts like the Bootheel Initiative.

"If the university didn't do it, it wouldn't get done," he said.

State lawmakers and state agencies have encouraged the university's efforts to take a leading role in helping the region.

The public-service efforts also benefit Southeast's students, providing them with hands-on experience in various fields, some of it funded with state contracts.

"It is real-world stuff," said Keys.

Randy Yancey, welfare reform coordinator for the Division of Family Services in Southeast Missouri, praised the Bootheel Initiative.

He said the university-led effort will lead to greater cooperation among social-service agencies.

"We are breaking down the funding silos," said Yancey.

"You still have your silos, but there are ways to loosen them up a little bit and work more collectively," he said.

BOOTHEEL FAMILIES ON WELFARE

Southeast Missouri State University conducted a study of needs of Bootheel families on welfare. Ninety-eight people receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families in a seven-county area of the Bootheel were interviewed.

The seven counties were butler, Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Scott, Stoddard and Wayne. What the survey found:

AVERAGE WELFARE RECIPIENT...

*is a white female in her early 20s.

*has never been gainfully employed or quit a job or was fired.

*has two children. Average age of children is 7.

*63% of welfare recipients in the Bootheel are white and 92% are women.

*12% have never been gainfully employed.

*50% of recipients have never completed high school.

*Most live in substandard housing. 38% live in public housing.

*54% don't have a telephone in their home.

*51% said they had a vehicle, but only 19% reported the vehicle runs and is in good condition.

*41% don't have a driver's license.

*39% don't have auto insurance.

*14% have been convicted of a crime, 3% were on probation and 5% had outstanding traffic tickets.

ASSISTING WELFARE RECIPIENTS

Southeast Missouri State University's Bootheel Initiative received over $4,782,000 for fiscal 2000 to coordinate 24 area programs to assist welfare recipients and their families. Funds come from six different agencies. Breakdown of funding sources and programs:

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES $2,000,000 Workforce Preparation and Job Placement * Prepares welfare recipients for workforce and assists in placement. Youth Diversion from Welfare Dependence * Provides tutoring and activities to children of welfare recipients to enhance academic achievement. Outreach Training and Technical Assistance * Provides training and assistance to social service workers. Economic Development and Micro-Enterprise * Assists welfare recipients in developing their own small business. Leadership Development * Identifies potential community leaders and offers training. State-Supported College-Bound Program * Encourages students to finish school and pursue higher education. Bootheel Initiative Advisory Committee * Coordinates all Bootheel services agencies. Bootheel Child Care Collaborative * Establishes network of child-care services for welfare recipients. Employer-Based Educational Program * Establishes educational programs at job sites to raise education levels of welfare recipients. Job Coaching/Job Shadowing Program * Enhances job retention of welfare recipients. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION $1,037,270 Missouri Bootheel Transportation Collaborative * Establishes network of transportation to work for welfare recipients. DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT $553,555 Work-First Employment * Provides first-time employment to welfare recipients. Community-Based Job Recruitment and Preparatory Training Program * Identifies, recruits and prepares hard-to-serve welfare recipients for employment. First-Time Employment for Youth * Provides summer employment for teen-aged children of welfare recipients. Job Development and Outreach Program * Provides job development and placement for welfare recipients. Micro-Cooperative Enterprise Program * Provides monetary and technical assistance to welfare recipients developing small business. DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES Health-Related Issues $500,000 * Identifies and solves health-related problems of welfare recipients and their families. Faith-Based Program $400,000 * Establishes a network of faith-based organizations to serve as safety net for welfare recipients. Educational Programming Amount to be announced * To provide a network of educational services for welfare recipients and their children during transition from welfare to self-sufficiency. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH $236,160 Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health * Increases physical activity of elementary school children. Gimme 5 Nutrition Program * Provides nutritional awareness for elementary school children. Community Cardiovascular Disease Screening * Identifies residents at risk, educates them and refers for treatment. Diabetes Control * Identifies residents at risk, educate them and refer for treatment. PRIVATE INDUSTRY COUNCIL $55,200 Job Development and Outreach Program Assists welfare recipients to become employed.