Sponsor: Workforce Solutions
Title
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Minnesota Family Investment Program Biennial Service Agreement for 2024-2025
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Recommendation
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1. Approve the submission of an application to the Minnesota Department of Human Services for the 2024-2025 Minnesota Family Investment Program Biennial Service Agreement Grant in an amount of $18,554,034 annually.
2. Authorize the acceptance and expenditure of grant awarded funds from the Minnesota Department of Human Services for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Block Grant for the period of January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025.
3. Authorize the County Manager to apply for and accept additional grant funds from the Minnesota Department of Human Services for the period of January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2025.
4. Authorize the County Manager to enter into agreements and execute amendments to agreements in accordance with the county’s procurement policies and procedures, provided the amounts are within the limits of the grant funding.
5. Authorize the County Manager to enter into expenditure grant agreements and execute amendments to agreements in a form approved by Finance and the County Attorney’s Office provided the amounts of funding are within the limits of the approved expenditure grant agreement program budget.
6. Authorize the County Manager to make temporary transfers, as needed, from the County General Fund to Workforce Solutions to cover program expenses until program funds are received, with repayment to be made upon receipt of the funds.
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Background and Rationale
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Ramsey County Workforce Solutions administers the Employment Services portion of the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF) through the state’s Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) and Diversionary Work Program (DWP). Employment services are provided directly by Workforce Solutions staff as well as by contracted providers. Emergency and Crisis Services, Eligibility and Childcare Administration are provided directly by Ramsey County’s Financial Assistance Services department.
Minnesota Statutes Section 256J.626, subdivision 4(a), requires counties and nation/tribes to have a Biennial Service Agreement (BSA) approved by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) in order to receive TANF Block Grant Consolidated Funds (Consolidated Funds). The purpose of the BSA is to provide DHS with information about services and strategies intended to meet program measures with the goal of increasing the economic stability of low-income families. The BSA provides a comprehensive assessment of current efforts, insight into what types of assistance is needed, and information on strategies to better serve participants in obtaining and sustaining gainful employment that will ultimately lead to greater self-sufficiency.
MFIP is a comprehensive work-focused program in which participants are encouraged and expected to work. In preparation for work, and/or retaining employment, participants are required to engage in MFIP approved work activities.
DWP is a short term (four month) work-focused program that helps parents quickly find work so that they do not need to enroll into MFIP.
The Consolidated Funds will provide funding for the following services, as further described in the BSA:
• Diversionary Work Program
• MFIP Employment Services Program
• Extension, post 60-month MFIP
• Emergency and Crisis Services
• FAS and Childcare Administration
• Family Stabilization Services
• Support Services
• Unpaid work experience/Transitional work experience
• Career coaching and trainings
• Incorporation of a family-centered service delivery model
• Reducing racial disparities
• Increasing meaningful community engagement
Minnesota Statutes Section 256J.626, subdivision 4(d) requires that counties or nation/tribes must allow a period of no less than 30 days for public comments on the contents of the BSA. The proposed BSA was posted on Ramsey County website location on August 24, 2023. No verbal or written comments were received by the deadline of September 24, 2023.
The 2024-2025 BSA is due to DHS by October 15, 2023; however, Workforce Solutions received an extension from DHS to submit the BSA upon the approval of Ramsey County Board of Commissioners. Upon DHS approval of the BSA, Workforce Solutions will receive the Consolidated Funds allocation estimated at $18,554,034 annually for 2024 and 2025. The potential exists for additional funding to be received; for example, MFIP/TANF supplemental funds, consolidated work experience funds, and MFIP/TANF funds targeted for racial disparity reduction or innovations.
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County Goals (Check those advanced by Action)
☒ Well-being ☒ Prosperity ☒ Opportunity ☒ Accountability
Racial Equity Impact
Once approved, the funding will be used for all individuals residing in Ramsey County who are eligible for the DWP and MFIP programs to better serve and support the whole family.
There are approximately 2950 families receiving DWP and MFIP services in Ramsey County; the families are all at or below 200% of the poverty level and represented as:
• 85% single-parent households
• 85% female, 15% male
• 22% white, 54% African American, 10% Asian, 7% Hispanic/Latino, 4% American
• Indian, and 3% others
• 40% of individuals with a documented physical or mental health condition
Ramsey County DWP and MFIP outcomes have shown persistent disparities between White participants, African American and American Indian participants. In addition to direct services provided, Workforce Solutions has engaged with community to co-create and deploy a series of additional efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities. Below are some examples:
• MFIP employment services continue to include partnerships and services that are culturally specific, where the services incorporate and build upon participant, family, community, and cultural assets.
• Partners for Equity efforts - Workforce Solutions contracts with three culturally specific community-based organizations to deliver comprehensive, strength-based, and culturally specific family stability services to African American, American Indian, and Latino/Hispanic families receiving MFIP.
• Significant co-investments of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds with the city of Saint Paul to provide young adults with the required skills, certifications, and credentials to enter or continue on a pathway to a gateway occupation.
• Investing funds to increase community engagement efforts and to support employers to become more inclusive workplaces.
Community Participation Level and Impact
Over the last two years, Ramsey County Workforce Solutions has hosted community engagement opportunities to learn more about how families prefer to be engaged with employment counselors as well as their experiences with other programmatic aspects such as service delivery, customer service, and program design. Below are community engagement activities that are ongoing and will continue to be strengthened during this biennium for continuous improvement of DWP/MFIP service delivery:
• Hosting focus group conversations with families and utilizing learnings to inform service delivery.
• Strengthening current partnerships and building new ones with culturally specific organizations.
• Utilizing the feedback received from individuals who participate in training cohorts and ARPA funded programs.
• Implementing what is learned through the WFS inclusive employer efforts.
• Ongoing community engagement efforts with our participants and stakeholders to improve service delivery.
• Evaluating community-based projects and getting feedback from program participants.
• Sharing program information with the Workforce Innovation Board of Ramsey County.
WFS collaborates closely with Partners for Equity to implement co-learning opportunities to improve active engagement and outcomes of MFIP families. Both MFIP families and employment counselors have shared their experience about the program services to strengthen partnerships between Employment Service providers and Partners for Equity and improve connections with employment counselors. WFS continues to engage and co-create programming with communities to ensure services and resources are directed in the most meaningful ways to families.
The department consulted with the community by posting the BSA online for open comments for 30 days. No comments or input has been received.
☒ Inform ☒ Consult ☒ Involve ☒ Collaborate ☐ Empower
Fiscal Impact
Ramsey County is estimated to receive a Consolidated Funds allocation of $18,554,034 for 2024 and 2025 annually. The allocation will be distributed between Workforce Solutions (70%) and Health & Wellness Service Team (30%) to provide the above-mentioned services. The potential exists for additional funding to be received. This grant award is included within the proposed 2024-2025 biennial budget. Previous allocation received in the 2022-2023 BSA was $19,040,329 annually.
Last Previous Action
On November 9, 2021, the Ramsey County Board approved the 2022-2023 Minnesota Family Investment Program Biennial Service Agreement (Resolution B2021-246).
Attachments
1. 2024-2025 MFIP Biennial Service Agreement