Find A Job With Assistance From DHS

Work First Family Assistance And Services

The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, called Work First, is based on the premise that parents have a responsibility to support themselves and their children. Through Work First, parents get training and other services to help them become employed and self-sufficient, but the responsibility is theirs.

Work First provides employment services, other supportive services, and time-limited cash assistance to families with children under age 18. The family is referred to child support to help get additional financial support for children. A family must meet income and resource rules.

When applicants request Work First, they are connected to the employment services social worker to assess the needs and strengths of the person before they become participants in the program. Once it is determined that services are needed to achieve success, the employment services social worker will implement services to make obtaining and maintaining employment more efficient.

The employment services social worker coaches the participant to "win the race" toward self-sufficiency. Participants may be involved in the following:

• Engage in short-term training and activities to obtain employment
• Weekly job search with ESC consultant
• Weekly contact with employment services social worker
• Alternative work experience and/or subsidized employment to help gain valuable work experience

Effective October 1, 2009, the Work First program implemented a new process for issuing Work First cash assistance. The process is called Work First Benefits (WFB). All adults included in the assistance payment must have a mutual responsibility plan of action agreement that requires the individuals to work or participate in work-related activities. These adults must complete all the requirements on their agreement each month before receiving Work First cash assistance, unless there is a good cause. Work First Benefits mirrors the working world, where individuals "work first", and receive payment for employment afterwards.

The Work First Family Assistance program will cover transportation to job searches and to work for a certain amount of time. You must have minor children in the home and be an active Work First Family Assistance participant to be assessed for this program.

Contact the Work First employment line at 704-920-1400 for questions about Work First employment services.​