Human Services

MFIP/DWP Grants

Statewide Outcome(s):

Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP)/Diversionary Work Program (DWP) Grants supports the following statewide outcome(s).

Strong and stable families and communities.

Minnesotans have the education and skills needed to achieve their goals.

Context:

MFIP/DWP Grants provide temporary financial support to help meet the basic needs of low-income families with children and low-income pregnant women. Half the parents enrolled in MFIP or DWP were employed in the quarter before they turned to assistance. Common causes for job losses are layoff, reduced hours, birth of a baby by a parent with no leave time, need to care for an ill or disabled child or spouse, or transportation and child care costs that wages do not cover. MFIP benefits include both financial and nutrition assistance. For those leaving the program with employment, the Work Benefit (WB) provides a small monthly cash payment for a limited time. DWP provides up to four months of financial support designed to meet specific crisis situations and help families move immediately to employment. The goal of these programs is to stabilize families and improve economic outcomes through employment. Without these benefits, families would not have the resources to meet their basic needs.

In FY 2011, an average of 116,428 people per month received help through these programs, 70 percent of whom were children. The average monthly payment per person was $245, including the food portion of MFIP.

These programs are funded with a combination of state funds and federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds. MFIP/DWP Grants are administered by counties and tribes.

Strategies:

MFIP/DWP Grants provides financial assistance to help meet the basic needs of low-income families with children and to improve economic outcomes through employment.

·         Parents are required to participate in employment services, to develop the skills necessary to move into the labor market as soon as possible.

·         Under MFIP, families receive time-limited cash and food assistance benefits based on family size. The benefits are structured to reward families who work and are gradually reduced as income rises. Participants must engage in work-related activities to continue receiving assistance.

·         DWP is focused on rapid entry into employment and provides up to four months of intensive job search assistance.

·         WB provides a small cash payment ($25) for up to 24 months to help working families remain off assistance.

Success for families receiving assistance depends not only on the services delivered by counties, community agencies and tribes, but also on referrals and connections to the social services and health care system. This combination of financial assistance, employment services, and supports for children and adults helps to build on strengths to move families into the labor market and out of poverty. Helping parents become employed is directly related to the health of the economy. During the recession, more focus has been placed on training to develop the skills needed during the continuing recovery.

MFIP/DWP works together with related Department of Human Services (DHS) programs such as Support Services Grants and MFIP Child Care Assistance Grants. Those provide other supports such as employment and training services, transporation, and child care to ensure parents are able to participate in activities and accept employment.

Results:

Success in MFIP is measured in several ways. Two key measures are:

·         The Self-Support Index is a Minnesota specific outcome measure that reflects the number of families who leave assistance or who are working at least 30 hours per week, and

·         The federal measure for MFIP is the Work Participation Rate (WPR). The WPR is a process measure that reflects the number of hours parents are participating in a small number of approved actitivities.

Performance Measures Notes:

1.     The MFIP Self-Support Index compares 2010 (previous) and 2011(current).

2.     TANF Work Participation Rate by Federal Fiscal Year, compares 2009 (previous) and 2010 (current).

For more information on these programs:

Minnesota Family Investment Program: https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-5830-ENG

Diversionary Work Program: https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-5848-ENG

Work Benefit: https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-5837-ENG