News Releases
Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 6, 2003
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
Alt Contact:  David Workman, Department of Social and Health Services, 360-902-7828

Gov. Gary Locke Announces $8.7 Million Federal Performance Bonus Awarded to State Welfare Reform Program

Gov. Gary Locke today announced the federal government has awarded Washington state’s WorkFirst program more than $8.7 million in performance bonuses. WorkFirst helps residents on welfare find and keep jobs while supporting their families.

“WorkFirst is a national leader and exemplifies what a welfare reform program should do,” Locke said. “With these latest awards, WorkFirst has earned more than $32 million in performance bonuses for its success and effectiveness in helping families on welfare get and keep jobs and earn a living.”

The governor said the welfare reform bonus money would be used to continue to help people find productive and satisfying work and support their children as they train and study.

Joining the governor to make the announcement was Dennis Braddock, secretary of the state’s Department of Health and Social Services (DSHS), and the agency’s two new executives in the welfare reform and child welfare services areas, Deborah Bingaman, assistant secretary for welfare reform and economic services, and Uma Ahluwalia, assistant secretary for child welfare services.

The number of families on welfare in Washington has dropped 44 percent since WorkFirst began six years ago ― from nearly 97,000 in 1997 to fewer than 54,000. More than 135,000 parents have left welfare and stayed off and approximately 2,000 WorkFirst parents continue to enter the job market every month.

In addition, Locke announced that the International Council on Accreditation has accredited the DSHS child welfare services offices in Omak and Walla Walla for meeting the highest standards of social work in the United States. This brings to eight the number of DSHS offices accredited statewide. It is the goal of DSHS to have all 44 children’s administration offices accredited by 2006.

“This is encouraging evidence that the DSHS ‘Kids Come First Action Agenda,’ launched by Secretary Braddock in 2000, is making a difference for Washington children,” Locke said. “While we continue to make progress, we cannot rest until every possible child is safe from abuse and neglect.”

The federal Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is awarding Washington with $7.9 million for its success in helping welfare clients find and succeed in the workplace in federal fiscal year 2002 (Oct. 1, 2001, through Sept. 30, 2002).

In addition, HHS also announced Washington was receiving a second bonus of more than $729,000 for fiscal 2001 (Oct. 1, 2000 through Sept. 30, 2001) for ranking highest among all states for subsidized child care access and affordability.

Washington was one of 41 states and the District of Columbia to share $200 million in bonuses for fiscal year 2001 and one of 40 states and the District of Columbia to share $200 million for fiscal 2002.

The WorkFirst program is a cooperative effort run by four state agencies including the department of Social and Health Services; Employment Security; Community, Trade Economic Development; and the Board of Community and Technical Colleges.

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