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Reach Up Annual Report 2020 3

Executive Summary

This report addresses highlights, trends, and outcomes within the Reach Up, Reach Ahead, and Post- Secondary Education (PSE) Programs. Reach Up is Vermont’s Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program, and provides cash assistance, case management, and support services to very low-income Vermont families whose income is generally below 45% of the Federal Poverty Level. Reach Ahead provides transitional assistance to participants who are leaving the Reach Up program and are working. PSE supports families with financial assistance and case management as parents pursue a two or four-year higher education degree. These critical programs guide approximately 2,600 Vermont parents and caretakers1 on their journey to enter or re-join the workforce and provide nearly 6,600 Vermont children with household income that helps provide for basic needs.

Most data in this report, unless stated otherwise, are for the period October 1, 2018 through September 30, 2019 (federal fiscal year 2019). Data reported in Sections 3 (Reach Up leavers’ participation in 3SquaresVT) are for the period July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019 (state fiscal year 2019). Most data are extracted from the state’s ACCESS system. In some cases, data are collected manually, through surveys, spreadsheet tracking, or case reviews.

Work throughout 2019 has continued to promote an organizational culture shift that reflects current research on goal attainment and coaching models of case management. Many families consistently face obstacles to entering the workforce – both individual and systemic. These include the lack of affordable childcare, shortage of affordable housing options, deficits in work experience and job skills, transportation challenges, struggles with mental health and substance use, and not having enough money to meet basic needs. On average, the obstacles facing families who have received more than 60 months of Reach Up are far greater. In some cases, such as mental health and transportation, families who have received long term assistance experience challenges up to double the rate of other participating families. However, Reach Up is able to mitigate these obstacles to a degree. Program initiatives and the grant increase in August 2019 have helped. Financial support services, childcare subsidy, participant-driven and goal-oriented case management, and connections to other services in the community contribute to promoting family wellbeing and moving into employment. Studies by independent contractors, Leslie Black-Plumeau and Yale University, give us more insight into the challenges families face and how we can design the program to alleviate these challenges. Again this year, Reach Up has met the federal Work Participation Rate thus demonstrating that a goal-centered approach is helping participants move into employment and off the Reach Up program.

Families continue to make progress towards their goals while participating in the Reach Up program, enabling them to enter the workforce or take necessary steps towards entering the workforce. This financial support, though low, provides a crucial safety net while families work towards employment. It also provides critical support for children; well-documented research shows that children who have benefited from financial assistance programs have better outcomes, even as adults. Adults who are obtaining employment are earning wages higher than ever, even when adjusted for inflation.

1 This number represents the approximate number of adults required to participate in work activities. Some households may have more than one adult participating, so this number will be higher than the average number of households served. Also, an additional 1296 families are receiving a “child-only” grant, which provides cash assistance to children whose parent(s) receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or who are being cared for by an adult other than their parent.