Table of Contents | Previous | Next |
FY 2003 Annual Performance Plan
STRATEGIC GOAL 1: INCREASE ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE AND PRODUCTIVITY FOR FAMILIES
Rationale
Economic independence and self-sufficiency are central to families being able to lead stable and productive lives. Achieving this goal requires assisting welfare-dependent individuals and recently arrived refugees to obtain and maintain employment within the context of work requirements and time-limited assistance. Strategies to increase earnings and income, through activities such as child support enforcement, and supports for work, such as affordable child care, are critical to assuring that children are not living in poverty and that they are adequately cared for while their parent(s) are working.
The job market, economic cycles, changing demographics, and the mores of family formation and child bearing (e.g., rates of divorce which create the need for child support or the incidence of out-of-wedlock teen pregnancies which increase the caseloads of hard-to-serve welfare recipients) influence outcomes under this goal. Such economic and social factors influence parents' ability to find work, meet their family's needs and support obligations, and achieve self-sufficiency.
For nearly all the "economic independence" programs, State welfare reform decisions have had a significant impact on program directions and results. ACF is constantly in dialogue with its partners to learn their objectives and share knowledge about practices that improve results.
The objectives and major program areas under this goal are:
- Increase employment
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
Developmental Disabilities: Employment
Refugee Resettlement
Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) - Increase independent living
Developmental Disabilities: Housing
Assets for Independence - Increase parental responsibility
Child Support
- Increase affordable child care
| Table of Contents | Previous | Next |