12/8/2009
Charleston, W.Va. - Governor Joe Manchin announced today that West Virginia will receive an initial award of $900,000 under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for emergency funding for the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program called WV WORKS. The award made by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will allow West Virginia to serve more families seeking employment opportunities and other forms of assistance during the current economic downturn. The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau for Children and Families operates the WV WORKS program statewide.
TANF is a federal block grant program that began in 1996 and was designed to help families become self sufficient through employment. TANF ended the federal entitlement to assistance and became a federal block grant that provides States, Territories, and Tribes federal funds on an annual basis. These funds cover benefits and services targeted to needy families.
During the past year, West Virginia has seen a modest but steady increase in WV WORKS cases statewide, following a decade of steady declines in caseloads. West Virginia currently has 10,700 WV WORKS cases, which is up 500 cases compared to this time last year. It is anticipated that WV WORKS will show a continued increase during 2010 under existing economic trends. The stimulus funds will be added to existing TANF funding and will be primarily targeted to add training and employment opportunities for existing and new WV WORKS families.
The emergency TANF stimulus funds will be available through September 30, 2010 and states may continue to apply for funds on a quarterly basis until then. West Virginia will apply for additional funding after the current quarter ends on December 31, 2009.
For more information, please contact Dan Hartwell at 304-558-8290.
Contact Information
Dan Hartwell
304-558-8290