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Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
For more information call: (202) 219-8211
President Bill Clinton and Secretary of Labor Alexis M.
Herman today announced that Florida will receive a $50.7 million
welfare-to-work grant to help the hardest-to-employ welfare recipients acquire
the skills, work experience and resources they need to find and keep good jobs.
The Florida grant is part of $2.2 billion being awarded to states over a
two-year period to fund local programs to help long-term welfare recipients
enter the world of work.
"We have made tremendous progress in welfare reform, with a
27 percent decline in welfare rolls since the enactment of the 1996 welfare
reform law," President Clinton said. "New workers are being welcomed into the
world of work and are proving their value. This grant will allow even more
long-term welfare recipients the opportunity to succeed."
"Getting a job for the first time may seem risky for those
who have been dependent for so long," Secretary Herman said. "This grant will
help Florida provide support services such as transportation and child care to
help the state's newest workers through what can be an uneasy transition. These
services can often mean the difference between success and failure."
Eighty-five percent of the Florida grant will go directly
to local programs that provide a wide range of support services such as
assessment, job search and readiness skills, education and training,
transportation, child care, housing assistance and treatment for substance
abuse.
Under the 1997 Budget Reconciliation Act, $2.2 billion is
being allocated by formula over two years to states based on their population
of poor people and the number of adult recipients of Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families. Another $711.5 million is being awarded directly by the
secretary of labor on a competitive basis to local communities for projects
that are innovative in their approach to helping adults move from welfare to
work.
Most states have now received formula grants for welfare
reform. Florida joins Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota,
Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New
York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto
Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia,
Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Formula grants also have been awarded
to the District of Columbia, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Editor's Note: The grant amount and state contact
for Florida follow:
FEDERAL FUNDS TO BE PROVIDED TO STATE:
$50,756,512
STATE MATCH: $25,378,256
STATE CONTACT:
Florida Department of Labor and
Employment Security
303 Hartman Building
2012 Capital Circle SE
Tallahassee, FL 32399
Contact: Kathleen L. McLeskey
(850) 488-
7228
Archived News Release--Caution:
information may be out of date.
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