Work First Family Assistance Program

Work First Family Assistance Program

Welfare states are recognized by their efforts to help the citizens in leading a better life. Such states also help citizens rise to the point where they are able to lead a stable financial life. There are many programs currently running in America at state or federal level that help the citizens in one way or the other to be able to maintain basic operations of live. One such program is Work First Family Assistance. The Work First Family Assistance Program is an initiative by North Carolina that helps needy families and gives them funds. The program offers funds to the custodians for the dependent family members. These payments are normally made on the monthly basis. The assistance program supports only those citizens that can fulfill the criteria of the program. While every one-out-of five citizen of the state of North Carolina is potentially affected by poverty (Poverty Quick Facts, 2011) and the literacy is also not competitive with other states, there is a dire need for state-run programs that stabilize the citizens and ensure them a better future. The basic problem that the program solves is that the children of specific age should not be left helpless. The children are owned by the state of North Carolina in one way. They are supported so that they are able to get education and plan their future. The state offers thousands of dollars every month to the citizens under the program.

Literature Review

An individual, as well as the state, is responsible for the destiny of citizen. The assistance programs help any community solve their education, health related or other problems. These assistance programs can be run by public or the private players or entities. Both have same ground objective of making the lives of people better but there are some differences in the programs offered by state bodies and the private partners. The first difference is that the private bodies can never achieve the scope of the state or public programs. The public organizations have funds, knowledge and access to a far bigger area and population than can an average private partner has (How to Find Financial Aid and Advice, 2011). Also, the public trusts the state bodies more since they know that the public programs are run to benefit the citizens and they do not have profit objectives. Thus, it is considered safer to avail public funds since they normally do not entail a liability. The state of North Carolina realizes that individuals prefer state programs and feels its responsibility towards helping citizens. The state is running several programs one of which is Work First Family Assistance Program.

The Work First Family Assistance program is compatible with the world class welfare programs running currently. It is a disciplined program offering assistance to eligible citizens only. The recipients of the program are asked to accomplish their Mutual Responsibility Agreement. The cash amount of the program is only offered once the recipient has completed the criteria (Work First Family Assistance (WFFA) cases, n.d.). The eligibility criteria of the program includes that the recipient should be either citizen of USA or a qualified foreigner. Also the recipient should have a child that is below the age of 18 or 19 years. The child should be near completion of his graduation or else should be around age of 19 years. The recipient needs to have some grade of kinship to child in home or have the legal custody or guardianship of child while living in the state of North Carolina. The recipient only gets the cash amount against his social security number. The recipient has to cooperate with Child Support Enforcement Agency and the Work First Employment Services. He should also have certain income level and have less than $3,000 in reserves.

The criteria for the assistance program is set so that it is ensured that only the deserving people get the funds and that they are able to rightly use it. Such programs are aimed at purposes that may seem current expense but actually they serve as investments that will ensure a more developed and stable future of the citizens of the state as well as the country. It is not easy to commit frauds in the system since North Carolina state administration ensures fool proof system. The citizens need to provide their identification that can be in form of birth certificates, social security cards, proof of residence in form of lease, rent or mortgage receipts, the bills, income proof documents, bank account details tax documents, insurance documents and the documents describing child care costs (Work First Family Assistance: North Carolina, 2013).

The system of offering the benefits is regularized and works well in timed manner. The workers in the program issue Work First benefit check after the three days of receiving required documents of the recipient. The offer is terminated if the recipient is not able to generate requirements in fifteen days after submitting the application. The program often transfers benefits to the Medicaid in the cases where the recipient fails to comply with the Mutual Responsibility Agreement. The spirit of the program is that the citizen should not get the funds for life rather he is encouraged to stabilize his family and receives the funds only as long as he successfully meets the criteria of the program. Some families like to receive the amount after three months in order to pay bills and to avoid multiple visits for receiving mount.

The program is not only support of financially weak families but is also guides them how to effectively use the funds to pay bills and utilities. It also offers counseling services to the citizens so that they may select a better path of education or career. The program therefore ensures that the recipients are not only dependent on the amount they receive for funds but make it sure to the citizens that the amount is only a temporary favor and ensures that the recipients will be soon able to work and fed themselves (North Carolina Assistance Programs, 2013). The plan of the fund and program is to prepare the people by possible means to become self-sufficient and independent in their lives.

The education-based programs are a hot topic globally. This is so because education offers productivity in a multiplier-effect manner. It does not only increase the capability of a person to perform a task better but is also help him get better jobs and help the family financially. An educated person is more capable of counseling his family in selection of an educational program than an illiterate or unskilled person. The skill-based trainings and programs are another point of focus because they ensure that after meeting the educational criteria for a job, a person also has the related skill set (How to Find Financial Aid and Advice, 2011). Education serves better in upgrading the society's status than the investment in jobs alone. An educated and skilled person is likely to generate a job for him but creating jobs without enabling and qualifying the people will probably end up in less effective program. Work First Family Assistance is thus put into practice to certify that the state understands the importance of getting knowledge as well as the technical education.

The program can be carried out in such a manner that the career goals of the citizen are assessed. The custodian is asked to prove that the child will complete a graduation. The child's educational level is investigated and also it is ensured that he gets admission in a school or diploma institute. The recipient is also ensured to get skills through an institute and that he gets training under supervision. The second thing that the program needs to do is to prepare the citizens for the professional life. The professional life does not merely require that a person should have a specific degree rather it requires a specific skill set and orientation as well. The program thus ensures that the citizen choses right profession for him that matches his capabilities and the area of interest. The recipient is helped in making his resume and applying for jobs of his interest. He is also helped in preparing for the interview. He should be taught techniques and methodologies that can legally assist him in acquiring job. The program helps the candidate reassess his goals and make them more realistic and that he finally gets the job and that his financial assistance continues until he is fully able to finance operations of his life. The program will be considered effective once the candidate successfully becomes employed and is able to take the responsibility of his life.

The concept of scholarship is based on the fact that it is awarded to those that have shown a great performance in academic field. On the other hand the particular scholarship that is suggested to be offered to the citizens is the one that will be offered for showing an academic interest even if they are unable to display very high performance. This is because the aim is to encourage citizens to get knowledge and learn (SFA Awarded Scholarships, 2013). The citizens will not be asked to repay the amount since it is not loan. After the scholarship aid, the state should ensure that the student completes the educational qualification. The recipient of the funds should be encouraged to maintain a certain GPA and to enroll as full time student. The student should be offered counseling so that the scholarship is rightly and effectively used. The scholarship grants should never be paid in cash rather the fund program should pay the scholarship in form of student fees directly to the university. The teachers should update the administrators about the performance of the student as well. The scholarships have a direct as well as indirect impact on the self-sufficiency of the citizen. It, for a period of few years, frees a citizen from the concerns of earning and financing his education. This offers him opportunity to concentrate on studies.

Theoretical Framework

The following diagram shows what are main factors that play a vital role in developing a self-sufficient human resource pool in an area:

A theoretical framework tells what the dependent are and independent variables. The independent variables are those that affect other variables and the dependent variable is the one that is affected. In this case, the theoretical framework suggests that four variables are independent that are setting professional goals, preparing for job, reassessment of goals and employment that will affect the dependent variable that is the candidates self-sufficiency. The counseling and scholarship serve as intervening variables that enhance the role of the independent variables.

Self-sufficiency, as the framework suggests, is fostered and raised when the citizen has confidence in himself. The WFFA program is in practice to make sure that by any financial and social means the students is made confident that he can do best job simply by deciding his direction and put effort in this direction. Counseling and scholarships sharpen the saw. These help to ensure the student that he is not alone and rather fully supported. The goal setting and citizen's preparedness will play a positive role in getting fruitful results. The scholarship will be removed after a certain time when the citizen gets employed because then he will be able to finance his own life operations. The scholarship, besides the monthly stipends ensure that the state is not only concerned about helping citizens live a sustained life but it is interested in growth and development of the citizens. In self-sufficiency, the education plays a long lasting role thus its financing is very critical in the family assistance program. The scholarships finally help grow the rate of literacy in an area and develop its workforce too.

While one might believe that healthcare is more important than education, health has to deal will sustaining life while the education helps us grow in career, profession, society and community. Thus, investing in the education and schooling is a long-term financing. Also it ends up in a state where people can do same jobs with more effective and innovative manner. An unskilled labor might be able to bear his burden and help a couple of family members but a learned person is much more self-sufficient and also he is capable of offering right direction to many others (North Carolina Division of Social Services, 2013). Thus investing in education of a person is like offering literacy opportunity to many more people. Things as well as goals become clear when a person can differentiate right from wrong. Thus investing in education through scholarship and guidance is very effective method that should be made an integral part of the work first family assistance program.

Implementation

The above mentioned framework is a designed plan for implementation of Work First Family Assistance Program. The program helps the youth and dependent family members to educate themselves to achieve self-sufficiency. The framework guides how the self-sufficiency can be achieved. Offering funds and money is not enough. The frameworks solve the problem in five cascading steps that do not leave a gap in preparing and helping the member achieve self-sufficiency. When a recipient has funds, counseling, set goals and information, he is much likely to get the job and become independent.

Contribution

The public administration does not simply involve the funds distribution. It is found that the Work First Family Assistance program focuses on only helping the recipient via cash. It is however suggested that a regular counseling and help in setting goals would be more productive. This will help the candidate set his goals and get employed. After the candidate is employed, he will be soon able to become self-sufficient and bear his own burden. The counseling and help other than funds will contribute as motivating factor. It ensures that the efforts are heading in right direction and that the candidate does not lose focus and becomes a useful and independent member of society.

While the citizens can easily get admission in any college if they have money, they would not be necessarily ending up in a best possible place. The program thus offers counseling and assessment along with the funds that develops the trust and confidence of citizens in the state and they are motivated that they should play their part as well. It is the mutual involvement of the two parties that will help the program be effective and to increase the number of educated and skilled people in the state and to reduce the poverty in the state. Currently North Carolina faces the economic and financial challenges that cannot be met alone by bringing financial and commerce reforms. Investing in the up building of citizens may prove a slower yet much more effective process than investing in other assets alone.

Framework

The Work First Family Assistance program is aimed to make the citizens self-sufficient. Following framework can be adopted to make the citizens independent in their lives. The program is a designed plan that sets procedure that is helpful in achieving a society that is self-sufficient and independent. It requires analysis of the current profile of the citizens and helping them set their professional goals and to achieve these goals in the light of guidance from state programs.