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June 11, 2019 <br /> <br />Background: <br /> <br /> Virginia First Cities proactively pushed, and the General Assembly passed, a <br />budget line item for $7.5 million to assist Virginia local governments with efforts to promote <br />community wealth building through non-siloed approaches in order to address issues of <br />systemic poverty. As a result, the Virginia Department of Social Services created a <br /> <br />Request for Application (RFA) for the Employment for TANF Participants grant. <br /> <br /> The grant is designed to assist participants in Temporary Assistance for Needy <br />Families (TANF), in preparing to enter the workforce and maintaining employment, with <br /> <br />the prospect of a career path and wage growth. <br /> <br /> The intent is to provide resources to expand and enhance existing service delivery <br />efforts to address more fully the needs of the target population prior to their entry into <br /> <br />work and during employment. <br /> <br /> The eligible population includes current or former TANF clients - including those <br /> <br />with multiple barriers to becoming employed. <br /> <br />Discussion: <br /> <br /> The stipulations of this grant prohibit the Local Departments of Social Services <br />(LDSS) from providing any direct services, therefore PDSS will need to contract with an <br /> <br />outside service provider. <br /> <br /> The proposed grant submitted by the PDSS was designed to address the barriers <br />that would hinder our citizens in obtaining viable employment. The PDSS intends to <br />concentrate efforts in the areas of client skills building, job placement and transportation <br /> <br />support. <br /> <br /> The program will ensure participants are connected to resources designed to <br />improve low education levels as well as to provide onsite support for basic reading, writing <br />and math skills. The program will consist of an intensive job readiness component, to <br />include soft skills training, and job placement. The goal of the program is to increase <br /> <br />longevity of employment in jobs with wages that are above the minimum wage. <br /> <br /> <br /> This grant has a renewal of 3 years. This request is for the FY 2020 renewal. <br /> <br /> In addition to accepting and appropriating grant funds, the proposed ordinance <br />transfers the required cash match of $12,288.96 from the Social Services Fund to the <br /> <br />Grants Fund. <br /> <br />Financial Impact: <br /> <br /> The grant requires a cash/in-kind match totaling $40,756.56. PDSS is providing an <br />in-kind match of $28,467.60 and a cash match of $12,288.96. The cash match is <br />budgeted as part of the FY 2020 PDSS Budget and is being transferred to the FY 2020 <br />Grants Fund. <br /> <br />Recommended Action: <br /> <br /> <br /> Adoption of the ordinance. <br /> <br />Next Steps Following Council Action: <br /> <br /> Finance will make the appropriate budget adjustments. <br /> <br />Motion by Mr. Moody, and seconded by Ms. Psimas, to adopt the following <br />ordinance, and was adopted by the following vote: <br /> <br />“ORDINANCE ACCEPTING AN EMPLOYMENT FOR TANF PARTICIPANTS GRANT <br />IN THE AMOUNT OF $122,269 FROM THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL <br />SERVICES, APPROPRIATING SAID FUNDS IN THE FY 2020 GRANTS FUND, AND <br />TRANSFERRING $12,288.96 FROM THE FY 2020 SOCIAL SERVICES FUND TO THE <br />FY 2020 GRANTS FUND, ALL FOR USE BY THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL <br />SERVICES TO ASSIST TANF PARTICIPANTS WITH PREPARING TO ENTER THE <br />WORKFORCE AND MAINTAINING EMPLOYMENT.” <br /> <br /> <br />Ayes: Battle, Clark, Glover, Lucas-Burke, Moody, Psimas, Rowe <br />Nays: None <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />