Narrative: a.

DSHS administers Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which is included in the Washington State WIOA Combined Plan as an optional, Combined Plan partner and as a “mandatory partner” within the one-stop delivery system. The State of Washington provides cash assistance to financially needy families, who are more likely to be members of marginalized populations, through the federal TANF program. WorkFirst is Washington State’s welfare-to-work component of TANF. In addition to the TANF cash grant, WorkFirst provides a range of services that address barriers to employment and support families as they move towards financial stability and economic success.

The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) partners with agencies to provide a suite of WorkFirst services from throughout the state workforce system: the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) provides basic and vocational education, and work-based learning; the Employment Security Department (ESD) provides job search services through its WorkSource offices; the Department of Commerce, through its contractors, provides subsidized employment and work experience for individuals with barriers to employment; DSHS’s Office of Refugee and Immigrant Assistance provides services to limited English proficient individuals; and the Department of Children, Youth and Families provides subsidized child care.

a. Conduct a program designed to serve all political subdivisions in the State (not necessarily in a uniform manner) that provides assistance to needy families with (or expecting) children and provides parents with job preparation, work, and support services to enable them to leave the program, specifically cash assistance, and become self-sufficient (section 402(a)(1)(A)(i) of the Social Security Act)

On November 1, 1997, Washington’s WorkFirst Program became operational statewide. The program designed was to move families on welfare into employment as quickly as possible through upfront job search, work experience activities, and short-term education and training.

Today the program is an integral part of a statewide effort to reduce intergenerational poverty in Washington.  It aims to connect families to resources and opportunities that help them reach their full potential, and has the goal of reducing poverty in a way that eliminates disparities. The State has instituted, by rule, uniform program policies in all political subdivisions, including uniform TANF cash benefit standards. 

Washington State provides cash benefits to all needy families who meet the eligibility criteria established by rules of the Department of Social and Health Services and in accordance with this State Plan. TANF is the major cash assistance program providing cash benefits for low income families with (or expecting) children in Washington State. The WorkFirst program offers services and activities to help people in low-income families find jobs, keep their jobs, find better jobs, and move towards financial stability.

The WorkFirst program links families to a variety of state, federal, and community resources to meet this goal. Examples include: 

• Child support collection
• Food assistance
• Subsidized child care
• Medical assistance
• Tuition assistance at community and technical colleges
• WorkFirst support services

WorkFirst support services include assistance with paying for work clothing/tools, car repair, driver’s and vehicle licensing, diapers, hygiene supplies and transportation. Job preparation services also include education and training tuition assistance, books, test fees and subsidized work experience. These services are designed to help individuals keep their jobs or get better jobs.

The WorkFirst Program is focused on obtaining paid, unsubsidized employment for all recipients who are able to work. In addition, WorkFirst is dedicated to assisting families up and out of poverty once they become employed by providing employment retention and wage progression services. 

In operating the WorkFirst Program, the State: 

• Provides an up-front employability screening and assessment for participants prior to any activity assignment to assess the individual’s work readiness and barriers to employment. While Washington internally strives for these screenings/assessments to be done within 30 days of the eligibility determination, it elects at state option to have a firm assessment deadline of 90 days as allowed per 45 CFR 261.11(b).
• For individuals who are work ready, require immediate participation in job search activities.
• Assign participants who need education skills or work experience and those who do not find work in a job search activity, to additional job search activities for a short length of time, to paid work experience, subsidized employment, other work-like activities, or barrier removal activities as determined appropriate by assessment.
• Provide employment services to assist clients in remaining employed and to progress in skills and wages
• Provide educational opportunities in the context of learning while working, both in classroom settings and on the work-site.
• Encourage a new alliance of state, local, and tribal government, business, faith-based organizations, nonprofit organizations, and individuals, who dedicate themselves to helping families in poverty overcome barriers (RCW 74.08A.280(2)).

As the WorkFirst program has evolved, more emphasis has been placed on overcoming barriers to employment, job retention, and reducing the re-cycling on and off of assistance that characterizes a significant part of the TANF population.