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State's WorkFirst Program Takes Major Cuts to Balance Budget
The two largest reductions will come from lowering income eligibility for Working Connections Child Care ($14.8 million) and granting fewer "hardship extensions" to WorkFirst families who reach the program's 60-month time limit ($16.4 million). The income eligibility for child care change will go into effect on Oct. 1, 2010 and the hardship extension change will take place in February 2011. Other reductions will include:
A major re-examination of the program is now under way, with a strong focus on resource leveraging and innovative, evidence-based best practices that are known to be cost-effective and sustainable. The plan is to have a WorkFirst redesign proposal for consideration by the Governor in early December of this year. Even further reductions to the program will be necessary should Congress decide to not extend federal TANF Emergency Contingency funding to states beyond Sept. 30, 2010 when it comes back from recess next month. This is because $62 million in continued federal TANF contingency monies for WorkFirst was written into the state budget that was approved earlier this year. Commission on Hispanic Affairs Kicks-off Statewide Radio Program The program is being sponsored in part by "The Workers Clinic" and a grant from the Attorney General's Office. The weekly syndicated radio program will broadcast simultaneously every Thursday between the hours of 8AM and 9AM via KNTS 1680 AM Radio Luz, in Seattle, KDNA 91.9 FM in Granger, and KSVR 91.7 FM Skagit Valley College Radio, Mt. Vernon. State government agencies will have the opportunity to present, on a rotational basis, information on various topics such as consumer fraud, worker protection rights, business licensure, etc. The focus will be on informing the Spanish speaking population with news that will empower them and help them overcome barriers of language, discrimination and poverty, as well as gain access to information and resources that will allow them to overcome obstacles for self-sufficiency. The program will feature the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs (CHA), Attorney General's Office, Department of Revenue, Department of Licensing, Department of Financial Institutions, Employment Security Department, Human Rights Commission, Labor & Industries, Liquor Control Board, Human Rights Commission and State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. "This is a superb opportunity for CHA together with state agencies to provide joint outreach to monolingual and bilingual Spanish speaking residents throughout Washington State as well as bringing the state agencies closer to our Hispanic communities," said Uriel Iñiguez, Executive Director of the Commission on Hispanic Affairs. We invite you to tune in and participate! www.cha.wa.gov | hispanic@cha.wa.gov Join Us at the NW-AIRS Conference in Portland, OR!
NW-AIRS is an affiliate of the Alliance of Information and Referral Systems, the professional association of information and referral/assistance providers throughout the United States and Canada. NW-AIRS' conference has been held in the Northwest since 1985. In that time, I&R programs have developed and diversified to address the needs of the communities and populations they serve. The conference offers participants an excellent opportunity to refresh existing skills and acquire new knowledge, as well as time to network with other professionals in our changing field. This year's conference highlights the scope of programs, the range of settings, and the diversity of callers served by information and referral. Workshops address the development of aging and disability resource centers, call center and database management, I&R skills development, cultural competence, veterans programs, disaster response, and much more. Attendees come from Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. Who should attend:
For more information, and to register for this year's conference, visit www.nwairs.org Health Insurance Information Now Online Family Promise Solid Ground
September and October Resources Hope and Power For Your Personal Finances American Lung Association of Washington provides a Flu Vaccine Finder tool at www.flucliniclocator.org. Search the locations of flu shot clinics by ZIP code to view the dates, times, addresses, phone numbers and maps of clinics offering flu shots near the requested ZIP code. Site reopens with new information each September. Gethsemane Community Services Millionair Club Municipal League of King County Seattle Tilth Association Solid Ground - Retired & Senior Volunteer Program University of Washington - Law School Clinics Winter Response Shelter - King County YWCA of Seattle/King County/Snohomish County - Angeline's Center for Homeless Women |
United Way of King County has finalized the date for the Community Resource Exchange (CRE), the one-day, one-stop event for people experiencing homelessness in King County. This year, the CRE will take place on Friday, September 24 and will be held again at QWEST Field. Celebrating Crones who have reached their eightieth year! Women, proud of their age, sharing the wisdom gained from living a life with power, passion and purpose. Put on your party dress and join us in honoring these wonderful women. Hear their pearls of wisdom about what really is important in life. Eleven-week series for mothers and their children, ages 5 through 8. Kids Club uses art, games and interactive activities designed to give children a place to process what they have experienced and witnessed; give parents age appropriate tools to talk to their children about their experiences; create a supportive environment for parents and children to strengthen their relationships with each other; and reinforce behaviors that support healthy relationships. Kids Club is free and confidential; Must register by 4pm, September 22. Contact Project DVORA at (206) 461-3240 for more information.
Baby Boost Information Fair, scheduled for Friday, October 1, 10:30am - 12:30pm, at the Chinese Information and Service Center. Baby Boost Information Fairs are "one-stop-shops" that provide important nutritional and health information and one-on-one connections to about 20 service providers and community resources. Families coming to Baby Boost Fairs also receive limited supplies of baby food, cloth diapers, cleaning products, food grinders, sippy cups, baby hygiene products and other baby supplies.
The 19th annual PAWSwalk is fast approaching and you're invited to be a part of this fantastic event to help animals! Washington State Health Insurance PoolA contract has been approved to implement the new federal high risk insurance pool for Washington state. The new health insurance reform law establishes a "temporary high risk health insurance pool program" to provide health insurance coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions who have been uninsured for at least six months. WSHIP, in collaboration with The Office of Insurance Commissioner, will operate the new temporary pool alongside the current state pool. Enrollment began in early August 2010, for coverage effective September 1, 2010. 
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You may view past issues of Resource Talk by clicking here. Crisis Clinic offers a variety of products to help connect people with critical resources. Information about purchasing Crisis Clinic's Where to Turn Directories, Where to Turn CD-ROMs, customized reports, customized mailing labels and holiday lists can be found online by clicking here. Crisis Clinic respects the privacy of our Web site users. For business purposes, please e-mail us at ResourceCenter@CrisisClinic.org or call us at (206) 461-3210. http://www.CrisisClinic.org
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Governor Chris Gregoire has ordered $51 million in spending reductions for the current fiscal year for WorkFirst services delivered across five state agencies. 
NW-AIRS invites you to join colleagues and friends at the biennial education conference, Building Bridges: Spanning the Diversity of I&R, presented October 6th-8th at the Lloyd Center Doubletree Hotel in Portland, Oregon. 
