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III. Conditions Within the Coun ,ty <br /> <br />Cabarrus County has demonstrated ongoing leadership in the state in <br />preparing our client population for employment. We have had on site full <br />service ESC representation with a full range of services available for <br />several years. We have operated the Joblinks demonstration project, <br />where welfare recipients were placed in subsidized jobs driving older <br />County cars, and providing transportation to and from work for other <br />welfare recipients. We also operate the Jobs for Dads Program, wh/ch <br />uses social work assistance to help absent non-custodial parents secure <br />employment and pay their child support obligations. In addition, we were <br />the only County in the state granted legislative approval for welfare reform <br />in 1995. The latter, called WOW (Work Over Welfare), has done well <br />and is to a large degree responsible for our 40% caseload decrease (5th in <br />the State). The program has demonstrated much, not the least of which is <br />a need for further refinements in our efforts to transit/on clients to work. <br /> <br />In preparation for this plan, we reviewed all cases actively receiving <br />employment services. This profile best describes the nature of the clients <br />we have to serve, and the barriers to serving them. (Appendix A) The <br />average client is more likely to be a minority, female, close to 30 years of <br />age with 2.04 children. The education level is 10.7 years. The majority of <br />the participants are returns to the program with close to, or over, half with <br />criminal records and transportation or day care problems. In addition, a <br />substantial percentage, 29%, have substance abuse problems. <br /> <br />In reviewing th~Se statistics and our experience with the WOW program it <br />is fairly clear that the most pressing problems are as follows: <br /> <br /> 1. How to provide employment opportunities to clients with criminal <br /> records. <br />2. How to increase transportation to assure clients can get to work. <br />3. How to increase the stability of day care to assure clients can obtain <br /> and maintain employment. <br />4. Assuring that clients with substance abuse problems and/or mental <br /> health needs are identified, and receive rehabilitation and related <br /> services. <br /> <br />2 <br /> <br /> <br />