Counties Lagging in State ‘Workfare’ Program

Counties are taking longer than expected to implement California’s new “workfare” program because, in some cases, it is the first attempt to pull together all job placement resources.

That was the word Thursday from local officials at a hearing of the Joint Oversight Committee on GAIN Implementation.

GAIN, which stands for Greater Avenues for Independence, is the state’s new welfare program that will require many recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children to work. Enacted in September, 1985, the program is slowly being phased in throughout California.

It will offer job-search workshops, education, training, child care and transportation. Eventually, there may also be jobs created by “grant diversion,” which will give welfare checks to the employer who hires people in the program.

County GAIN directors said early trends indicate that there are more volunteers for the program than expected and a high number of people in GAIN who need remedial education in basic reading and math.

In general, local officials said, the planning process is proving to be more difficult than anticipated.

Last year, about 35 counties were expected to be operating GAIN by June, 1987, but the forecast has dropped to about 20 counties.

Carl Williams, state GAIN director, said the overall program is still basically on schedule and that the extra time counties are taking will enable them to submit better plans.

All counties are supposed to submit plans by September, 1987, and put them into operation by September, 1988. Then they have two more years to phase in all of the caseload, bringing the program to full operation statewide.

Most populous counties, such as Los Angeles, which has 40% of the state Aid to Families caseload, will probably not move much in advance of the deadlines, officials said.

Only 10% to 15% of the Aid to Families caseload is in the counties that have begun GAIN--Butte, Fresno, Napa, Kern, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Madera, San Mateo, Yuba and Ventura.

The GAIN budget, $93 million for the current fiscal year, is scheduled to increase to $266 million next year.