Director's Message

Nov. 30, 2007

To: All DHS employees

From: Bruce Goldberg, M.D., director

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"The hopes of the Republic cannot forever tolerate either undeserved poverty or self-serving wealth."
~ Franklin D. Roosevelt

It's easy in an agency this large and complex, with all the services we provide, to simply focus on the most immediate and time-sensitive issues. But if we take a step back we can spot some underlying factors that -- if addressed -- can make a big difference in helping our clients and our state.

One of those factors -- perhaps the biggest -- is poverty.

Nearly 12 percent of Oregonians -- that's one out of every eight people -- live in poverty. And most of these individuals live in families where at least one adult has a job or is looking for work. Working families are living in poverty, and the gap between the rich and the poor in our society is growing. These are large societal issues that must be addressed. And, as an agency and as individuals, I believe we must be part of the solution.

Recent changes to several programs within the Children, Adults and Families Division are making headway helping low-income families stabilize, climb out of poverty and become self-sufficient. What makes these programs successful is their focus on early identification of barriers and holistic intervention.

The CAF programs taking on the barriers to success faced by low-income Oregonians are Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Job Opportunity and Basic Skills (JOBS), and Employment Related Daycare (ERDC).

Some of the redesigned activities under way or planned include a more holistic upfront evaluation process of TANF clients that incorporates screenings for domestic violence, alcohol and drug use, health problems, and mental health issues; modification of the JOBS program to provide a larger array of services including adult basic education, job skills and vocational training; an increase in the rates paid by the ERDC program to child care providers to increase the number of child care providers willing to serve TANF families; and increased funding for improving the nutrition of low-income individuals receiving food stamp benefits.

Thanks to support from Governor Kulongoski and the 2007 Oregon Legislature, these programs will be able to better address underlying factors early and help families gain the footing they need to build independent, healthy and safe lives, and reduce the likelihood they will have to reapply for assistance in the future.

However, as good as these changes are, we are still faced with the fact that the temporary cash subsidies provided to families in need are unconscionably low.

The maximum amount of cash assistance under the TANF program that a family of three with no other income can receive is $485 a month. It has not changed in more than a decade, and it is now just 34 percent of the $1,431 a month set by the federal government as the poverty level for a family of three. Even more striking is the fact that a 2006 study conducted for the Oregon Food Bank determined that the monthly living wage for a family of three in Oregon is $4,055.

We must do more as a state to reach people who need help. The changes CAF has implemented to the TANF, JOBS and ERDC programs are an excellent first step. Now we need to examine what else has to be done to help end the impact of poverty on so many Oregonians.

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To provide feedback email: DHS.Directorsoffice@state.or.us

This message is intended for all department employees. Please read it electronically, if possible. Managers and supervisors are asked to share the message each week with employees who do not have email access.