Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

County Welfare In Compliance

Everybody knows those people on welfare are lazy and don't want to work.

Right?

Wrong?

Under the Transitional Employment Assistant (TEA) Program, operated through the Department of Human Services (DHS), people who were once on welfare in Nevada County are now working members of the community, contributing to the area's economy by paying taxes and being able to purchase items they need for survival.

According to Twyla Arnett, local DHS administrator, as of July 1, 1997, there were 52 welfare cases placed into the TEA program. Now, there are no time limit cases remaining on the welfare rolls.

Those who once collected welfare checks are now receiving paychecks instead. They are also gaining a sense of personal pride and accomplishment.

Arnett said while there are no time limit cases remaining on the welfare rolls locally, there are 18 cases which have no time limits. These, she said, include 10 cases where children are living with their grandparents, three cases with medical deferrals and five with mothers who are handicapped and can't work.

And, what is also impressive about Nevada County having no time limit cases remaining is, of Arkansas's 75 counties, it was one of the first to reach zero. The only other county with no time limit cases is Grant County.

"The DHS staff has done an excellent job working with the TEA cases," she said.

When clients who once received welfare checks begin working, the staff at the DHS also feels a sense of accomplishment, Arnett said. "One client returned to the office with her paycheck, asking us to make copies of it for her. It was the first paycheck she'd ever earned in her life.

"The perspective some have of welfare recipients is they are freeloaders. This isn't true."

She said while Nevada County has no public transportation, all those who found work also found ways they could get to and from their new jobs. "Taxpayers should appreciate this program. Those who were helped (on welfare) in the past are now paying taxes."

Staffers with the DHS do whatever it takes to help the clients find work. In some cases, DHS employees, when learning about a job, will go to the homes of clients who don't have telephones to let them know about the positions..

"Our goal," Arnett said, "is to keep them working."

Locally, a coalition has been formed composed of the DHS, local residents, members of the Nevada County Health Unit, local government and law enforcement, along with educators and churches. This coalition was established to provide services not readily available in Prescott and Nevada County.

Community involvement is vital in a small county, she said.

DHS employees scan local and area newspapers looking for job openings their clients may be qualified for. They also work to help the clients prepare for the interview process, as many have never been questioned for a job opening before.

"We're thrilled with the success we've had in the county," Arnett said. "In some cases we thought there may be some women living with the father of their children, but not being married. We've had four such couples get married."

But, what about those former welfare recipients who have small children? Doesn't day-care cost a small fortune?

Yes, day-care is expensive, but Arnett said the DHS helps take care of this expense while the parent(s) is working. "We help them with the child care payments."

Those formerly on the welfare dockets now have jobs with Columbia Sewing in Hope and Magnolia; area nursing homes, Red River Knitting, Tyson and Hudson Foods and Petit Jean Poultry.

"The ideal situation for these people," she said, "would be to have them working and getting an education vo-tech if not college."

Those in the TEA program still have Medicare, food stamps and the child care while getting on their feet, but no longer receive any monetary assistance.

The TEA program, she said, is geared for those people ages 18-50.

Now, there is another change going in within the DHS, Arnett said. Those receiving food stamps will soon be getting a card instead of the stamps. This card, about the size and shape of a credit card, will replace the food stamps and help eliminate fraud.

The food cards will be used when recipients go to the grocery store.

However, Arnett said, those getting the new cards will be given classes in how they are to be used.

In the long run, she said, taxpayers will benefit as this will cut down on the cost of printing food stamps as they are now and mailing.

This electronic benefits transfer (EBT), she said, went into effect Feb. 1.