Gov. Gregoire to strengthen WorkFirst program

For Immediate Release: November 10, 2005

OLYMPIA - Nov. 10, 2005 - Gov. Chris Gregoire said today she is taking several steps to strengthen the state�s welfare-to-work program, including a renewed commitment to provide subsidized childcare and other employment supports, and reinforced support and rules to motivate parents who are not doing all they can to prepare for and seek work.

�My Washington WorkFirst program will deliver on three basic goals,� the governor said. �The program will lift citizens who can work from the cycle of poverty. It will offer a safety net of supports for children and for those parents who face barriers to employment, and it will focus on more effective help for real people and not a bigger bureaucracy.�

But Gov. Gregoire said she will not embrace the WorkFirst Reexamination Workgroup�s recommendation that the number of parents eligible for subsidized childcare support be reduced. �We can�t expect parents to work if their children aren�t safe and cared for. And we can�t expect to break the cycle if children lack a quality early learning experience,� she said.

The governor said, however, that she agrees with the panel�s recommendation that parents be denied cash grants if they refuse the considerable support the program offers to place them into jobs. �We will make sure we renew and strengthen efforts to help parents find and keep jobs, but we must expect parents who can work to accept the help and go to work,� she said.

�Working is good for families and society,� Gov. Gregoire said. It brings self-respect and purpose to families, and it gives children a sense of security. My mom, a single parent, was a restaurant cook in Auburn. We never had much money. But I admired my mom for her willingness to work and provide. Work is not just a way to break the cycle of poverty. It gives a family dignity and hope.�

Gov. Gregoire said she will implement a recommendation from her WorkFirst Reexamination Group that all parents receiving WorkFirst grants agree to participate in the program and accept employment if they are able to work. Gov. Gregoire said new efforts will be made to steer non-compliant parents into jobs, but ultimately - if the parents refuse to take part - they will lose their WorkFirst grants. She wants to see this aspect of the program carefully administered to be sure the program has done what it can to support the parent, and to be sure it is applied in a fair and non-discriminatory way.

At the governor�s request, the WorkFirst Reexamination Group last month submitted recommendations to her intended to make the program sustainable based on its current budget. Recommendations included a reduction in WorkFirst childcare eligibility.

To encourage full participation, the governor said more must and will be done to help parents get education and training.

�That will be the first order of business before we even begin moving into issues around sanctions for parents who will not comply,� she said. �Assistance from faith-based and community groups will be sought where appropriate to help deal with special barriers some parents may face.�

Added the governor: �We are not going to sanction parents who are ill or disabled, or caring for a disabled relative in their home. We are not going to sanction parents who do everything we ask of them, but still can�t achieve self-sufficiency. This is why I have decided not to implement a strict 60-month time limit for WorkFirst grants. I will rely instead on supports and sanctions to move parents into jobs.�

She said she has requested $50 million to help cover an estimated $91 million shortfall in WorkFirst�s two-year budget. She noted that WorkFirst�s combined state and federal funding has not been increased since 1997, even as substantial funding has been removed from the WorkFirst fund to pay for other state social services needs.

Recognized nationally for its record of success, WorkFirst has helped more than 156,000 Washington families get jobs since 1997. This counts only those families who have managed to stay off welfare.

�We have done it with tools that work, including decent childcare,� Gov. Gregoire said. �You can�t go to work if your kids aren�t safe in good childcare, and subsidized childcare for all WorkFirst families will remain a core value of WorkFirst as long as I�m Governor.�

The governor commended the WorkFirst Reexamination Workgroup for their efforts and recommendations.

�The group did a great job, and under a tough requirement to propose changes to make WorkFirst fit within its current budget,� she said.

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