Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Hoarded money
After weeks of being criticized for hoarding millions of dollars intended for poor Tennessee families, the Department of Human Services announced Tuesday it will disburse more of the money. Participants in the Families First program make an average of $927 per month, while the state has been hoarding more than $730 million in federal funding. The department announced it will retain a three-year surplus of funds of approximately $342 million and re-open the Two Generation grant process for extended partnerships with non-profit groups and community organizations. By 2020, there will be more than $84 million invested in such grants. Additionally, the department will work closely with other state departments in funding projects focused on housing, family and stabilization, educational support for children, drug addiction, and workforce development. It has obligated a $56 million grant to expand home visitation services to every county in Tennessee as part of early intervention efforts. The department will also invest more than $80 million in programming that supports the following efforts: Implementing a child support unit to provide employment and re-entry services to non-custodial parents Employment programming that addresses the medical and mental health needs of Families First clients After-school programs to provide tutoring, healthy lifestyles, abstinence education, and work force development for teenagers Programming to assist families with transportation barriers in both rural and urban communities.


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