Previous Initiatives

Welfare Reform
LexLinc’s first initiative was with the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The partnership created a local structure to organize a broad community response to welfare reform. The partnership developed strong community assistance to families to help them provide for themselves to and reduce their need for public support. Initiated in 1998, LexLinc phased out the last elements of the initiative in 2009.

What is Welfare Reform?
In 1996, President Clinton signed the "Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act," which transformed America's welfare system.

How was welfare reform enacted in our community?
Since September 1998, a community-wide system worked to remove the most recognized barriers to self-sufficiency and employment for families receiving KTAP and the non-custodial parents that support them. Initially, in 1998, approximately 2,400 families received KTAP in Fayette County. In 2007, around 350 families receive KTAP. This reduction was accomplished through a network of participating agencies, which:

• Prepared participants for work by providing job training, placement and retention services.
• Helped remove barriers to self-sufficiency, such as transportation, childcare and building personal assets.
• Recognized and assisted individuals in overcoming personal obstacles, such as physical and learning disabilities, substance abuse, depression and mental health problems.
• Developed life skills and soft employment skills by plugging participants into related community services and mentoring programs.

What made Lexington's welfare plan innovative?
A unified effort. Under this umbrella, private service providers, public sector agencies, businesses, employers and private citizens planned and worked together.

A more extensive network combined multiple community and public resources to give families better access to the tools and opportunities to work. A web of partners worked to remove obstacles to employment for the parents and strove to empower them with the life skills and parenting skills they needed to take better care of their children.

Unique tools were available to service providers and program participants, such as mentoring, computer and technology resources, screenings for personal barriers and classes to teach participants how to accommodate for these barriers at home and in the workplace.

The Welfare Operations Committee (WOC) was made up of front line social workers who worked with clients who receive KTAP. This group met the third Friday afternoon of each month (except in July and December) at a different community agency to learn about their program and resources, and to collaborate, brainstorm, and support each other. The WOC was integrated into the Provider Cabinet in 2010.

How were programs coordinated, funded, and monitored?
Through an online database, LexLinc tracked agency and participant outcomes and ensured that resources and services were not duplicated. Based on agency records reported to LexLinc through the on-line, web-based data system, LexLinc made annual recommendations to the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services on how to allocate resources.

What were the key components for KTAP participants?
Assessment. As new persons applied for KTAP, or as current participants applied for renewal, they were assessed to determine eligibility and then completed their Transitional Assistance Agreement.

Screening. Participants were screened for physical and learning disabilities, substance abuse, depression, and other mental health problems. If needed, participants were referred to Department for Vocational Rehabilitation, Comprehensive Care or another organization for extended services. If ready to begin thinking about employment, they were referred to a job readiness program or a training placement agency.

Training and Placement. An individual could select a training program or immediate job placement. They could also directly contact an employer. The individual was ultimately responsible for deciding which course of action to take. Contracted training and placement agencies were responsible for linking their clients to services involving transportation, child care, healthcare, working attire, food stamp allotments, savings accounts, life/parenting skills and mentoring relationships that were all part of the network. The selected agency was also responsible for helping their clients retain their jobs and work toward long-term self-sufficiency.

An annual TANF grant of approximately $500,000 to $750,000 supported services for KTAP participants. A Memo of Understanding with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services authorized LexLinc to develop and oversee the community strategy for TANF funds.

Credit Union
In 2001, LexLinc's neighborhood partners expressed their desire for a financial institution designed to serve their communities. After looking at various models, LexLinc determined that a credit union with a community development designation was the most appropriate type of institution. LexLinc worked to charter this specialized credit union. Neighborhood partners gathered almost 700 surveys and letters of support. Local banks provided almost $2 million in capital-like deposits. John Brubaker, the President of Members Heritage Credit Union, was instrumental in establishing the LexLinc Community Development Federal Credit Union by serving on its steering committee, which helped write the charter application.

As an autonomous organization, LexLinc CDFCU opened its doors in December 2002 and after two years had more than 1,200 members. The Credit Union was very successful in offering basic financial needs to a targeted population and was one of the first credit unions in the region to serve undocumented workers.

In 2005 Members Heritage Credit Union received a community designation and could then accept the same clientele as LexLinc CDFCU. The board of the LexLinc CDFCU decided to merge with Members Heritage. Clients could receive a higher level of services from three branch locations.

All members accounts transferred to Members Heritage on June 1, 2005.

Click here to access Members Heritage website.