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Single Mother Assistance Article
Assistance For Single Mothers In Texas
Karlie BestlerIf you are a single parent in Texas, you may be eligible for help through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Employment and Training (Choices).
There are three overriding philosophies in Texas state government:
*Local control
*Smaller, more efficient government
*An emphasis on work and individual responsibility
To meet these goals, Texas devolved to the local level management of federally funded and other workforce development programs, including the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Employment and Training (Choices) program.
Local Texas Workforce Centers integrate the state programs into a seamless continuum of services. Workforce Center staff works to define an appropriate array of services that bridge a number of funding streams. For example, a Choices individual enrolled in employment activities may be co-enrolled in a WIA-funded training program. Integration and seamless service delivery are central to the Texas workforce development system.
TANF Employment and Training (Choices)
Choices operates under a Work First service model. From the point of applying for cash assistance (through the Texas Health and Human Services Commission) throughout delivery of benefits and employment services, Choices individuals receive a consistent message:
*Government assistance is temporary.
*Texans are responsible for the support of themselves and their families.
*Employment is the goal.
Choices provides services to single-parent families and two-parent families. Both State and federal welfare reform legislation emphasizes personal responsibility, time-limited cash assistance benefits, and the goal of work instead of welfare. To support these mandates, Texas Workforce Centers and local boards developed a service delivery model with the goal of employment at the earliest opportunity for applicants and recipients of cash assistance.
Choices Services - Workforce Orientation for Applicants
The Workforce Orientation for Applicants (WOA) is an introduction to Workforce Center Services. TANF applicants are required to attend a WOA as a condition of eligibility unless HHSC exempts them. Once certified for benefits, TANF recipients must attend an Employment Planning Session (EPS).
During an Employment Planning Session (EPS), Choices staff meets with TANF recipients to introduce them to Choices services, to develop an in-depth assessment, and to develop a Family Employment Plan. Following the FEP, Choices participants are generally expected to participate in work activities (30 hours minimum for single parents, 35/55 hours for two-parent families depending upon their receipt of subsidized child care). Participation for most recipients will include job readiness activities and job search activities for locating employment at the earliest opportunity.
Employment Services for Choices Participants
Employment services for participants gives priority to unsubsidized employment appropriate to each individual's educational and functional literacy level. If the Choices participant does not obtain employment, subsidized employment, community service, or other work activities designed to provide recipients with the skills necessary for employment are required. Services will vary based upon local service strategies. Teenage heads of household are encouraged to finish high school or complete a GED before entering employment activities.
Initial activities that assist Choices participants with finding employment include Job Readiness and Job Search. Job Readiness activities including:
*Self-esteem building
*Job search skills
*Labor market information
*Employment goal setting
*Resume writing
*Interviewing techniques
*General workplace expectations
*Job retention skills
Almost all Choices individuals participate in structured Job Search activities. The goal is unsubsidized employment at the earliest opportunity. Recipients are responsible for making a designated number of employer contacts per week. In addition, workforce staff makes job referrals and provides job development activities to assist recipients in their job search.
Choices Participation
Choices participants who cannot obtain immediate employment are subject to mandatory community service requirements. A Choices participant, excluding teens in school, must be scheduled to participate in community service if not enrolled in one of the following activities after four weeks:
*Unsubsidized employment
*Subsidized employment
*On-the-job training
*Work experience
Support services are available to assist Choices participants who are actively looking for work or who become employed. Support services include:
*Child care
*Transportation assistance
*Work-related expenses
*Other support services needed to help Choices participant begin work and to remain employed
Active Choices participation is a basic requirement. Failure to participate without Good Cause results in an immediate sanction that discontinues all of the family's TANF cash benefits, the adult family member's Medicaid benefits, and support services.
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