WELFARE-TO-WORK PROGRAM HELPS AREA FAMILIES BACK ON FEET AND OFF ASSISTANCE

Less than three years remain before the first names of government aid recipients are removed from welfare rolls, and agencies throughout the Bootheel are working hard to make sure these people are ready to support themselves and their families.

Federal lawmakers approved massive welfare reforms in the mid-1990s and set firm limits on the amount of time individuals could receive financial aid without working . In Missouri, new programs were established to help recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and food stamps to move from the welfare rolls to the workforce.

"I'd say we're definitely seeing success," said Alana Williams, Welfare to Work Coordinator at the Southeast Missouri Private Industry Council. Williams coordinates welfare reform activities in a 13-county area.

The reasons behind local welfare-to-work success are a number of strong programs that address the variety of needs welfare recipients face, Williams said. Often, needy families struggle daily just to survive, so their entire mindset, not just their income, needs to be changed before they can become good workers and self-sufficient.

"We try not to time them because a lot of people have problems even a year into their jobs," Williams said. "We encourage them to quit thinking with that survival mentality and start planning ahead. Sometimes we say to each other when we get discouraged that we're just planting a seed that may not take root until sometime up the road."

The Private Industry Council, or PIC, coordinates with a number of agencies to ensure the maximum number of people is receiving assistance. In Cape Girardeau, the agency houses a one-stop career center that includes representatives from the Division of Family Service, Child Support Enforcement, Green Thumb (an experienced-worker program for older recipients), the Division of Workforce Development and other agencies.

Several satellite centers are located throughout the PIC service area.

"If we aren't ready, it won't be because the people here aren't giving it 100 percent," Williams said. "I can honestly say we have a lot of really good people working together."

PIC has initiated a variety of programs to assist people as they gain job training and employment. Programs like Jump Start on Jobs a two-week seminar held four times each year that culminates in job interviews are local efforts that affect a relatively small number of people.

Other programs, like the Missouri Jobs Education Training program for food stamp recipients, SPIRALS, and the Missouri Mentoring Partnership for youth, provide job training and support on the job for various types of welfare recipients throughout the Bootheel.

As individuals stop receiving TANF, they are referred to PIC's Post-employment Program for support within the years immediately following entry into the workforce. Some 600 people in the region have been referred to the program, and many have experienced success, Williams said.

"We work with them in case management to help them retain their job," she said. "I've been really pleased with what I've seen in terms of people going off the program."

Transportation remains a major issue for welfare recipients and the working poor in the region. PIC provides some options though, including a 12-hour bus service for people in the Cape Girardeau area traveling to or from work or to baby-sitting or daycare services. In addition, cab coupons are provided for people who work in the evening.

"One thing we are noticing is people are finding other means of transportation," Williams said. "That might mean the carpool as they get acclimated at work, or they purchase a car or are able to buy their own cab coupons."

As the clock continues to tick towards the first whittling of the welfare rolls, Williams feels optimistic few people interested in helping themselves will be missed. There will always be a few people who aren't ready to be helped, just as there will always be those who are ready and willing to improve their lives, she said.

Ultimately, the test will be helping TANF recipients find better jobs that enable them to support their families.

"The welfare rolls are really down, but now we need to look at helping people to get jobs that are better-paying so they can be self-sustaining and not rely on any assistance," Williams said. "To me the five years, that's just a consequence. The real reason for doing this ought to be the fact that it's better for your family, it's better for you."