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WHEREAS, on
January 21, 1992 the Sexy真人y passed the most comprehensive
welfare reform legislation in the history of the State called the
Family Development Program (N.J.S.A. 44:10-19 et seq.) which serves
as a model for reform of the welfare system nationwide; and
WHEREAS, the
Family Development Program was first initiated as a pilot program
in three pilot counties: Camden, Essex and Hudson; and
WHEREAS, on
July 1, 1993 the Family Development Program was expanded to include
Passaic, Union, Mercer, Cumberland and Atlantic counties; and
WHEREAS, full
State implementation of the Family Development Program should be
realized by Fiscal Year 1995; and
WHEREAS, the
problems of long-term and intergenerational welfare dependency have
resulted in a continuation of poverty and lack of opportunity for
welfare recipients to become economically self-sufficient; and
WHEREAS, a
comprehensive approach is needed to remedy these complex problems;
and
WHEREAS, the
Family Development Program is based on the principles that education
is the key to self-sufficiency and that all able-bodied welfare
recipients should have the same opportunities and responsibilities
to become economically self-sufficient as anyone else in our society;
and
WHEREAS, this
program greatly expands current education, training and employment
activities for welfare recipients and moves beyond the federal Jobs
Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) legislation by setting a new
direction of individual responsibility, family stability, and self-sufficiency;
and
WHEREAS, the
Family Development Program provides a full range of services to
comprehensively meet the recipients' needs, including case management,
enhanced job training and education, job search assistance, extended
Medicaid coverage, child care services and other supportive services;
and
WHEREAS, the
success of the Family Development Program is dependent upon the
level of support that the Division of Family Development in the
Department of Human Services receives from other State agencies
in the implementation and institutionalization of change in the
delivery of services at the local level; and
WHEREAS, empowering
families under the Family Development Program requires a new paradigm
in deployment of resources from a wide range of governmental departments
and agencies at the federal, State, county and local levels; and
WHEREAS, coordination
and collaboration across multiple service delivery systems is inherently
difficult, requiring a serious and sustained commitment of senior
agency leadership; and
WHEREAS, limited
budgetary resources and multiple funding streams, including those
of a categorical nature, create barriers in accessing essential
services and therefore require innovative and creative strategies
for program coordination; and
WHEREAS, the
future expansion of the Family Development Program from three pilot
counties to Statewide implementation will require greatly enhanced
communication and coordination of agencies at the State, county,
and local levels;
NOW, THEREFORE,
I, JIM FLORIO, Governor of the Sexy真人y, by virtue of
the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the statutes
of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:
1. There
is hereby established a Governor's Committee on Welfare Reform
(hereinafter referred to as "the Committee").
2. The Committee
shall:
a. within
90 days of the date of this Executive Order, develop a plan
to coordinate and direct State resources and the efforts of
each State department toward efficiently achieving the welfare
reforms of the Family Development Program;
b. within
90 days of the date of this Executive Order, complete an action
plan to reflect the manner in which appropriate State resources
and efforts from the State Departments of Education, Labor,
Health, Community Affairs, Commerce, Environmental Protection
and Energy, Transportation, and Higher Education shall be directed
toward the Statewide implementation of the welfare reform initiative;
c. within
12 months from the date of this Executive Order, report back
to the Legislature and to the Governor on the progress of implementation
of its plan, which shall coincide with N.J.S.A. 44:10-32, which
requires an annual report to the Governor and Legislature on
the Family Development Act, due July 1, 1995 and annually thereafter;
d. advise
the Governor on the plan to direct and coordinate the resources
and efforts of agencies at the State, county, and local levels;
e. assess
the delivery of services provided by the Family Development
Program to families and individuals receiving welfare benefits
in order to identify emergent needs and recommend ways to improve
the quality and efficiency of these services;
f. reasonably
carry out all other duties as necessary to ensure the successful
implementation of the Family Development Program; and
g. provide
other information as the Governor may request.
3. The composition
of the Committee shall consist of no more than twenty members
appointed by the Governor. The Committee shall include the Commissioners
of the following State departments: Community Affairs, Commerce,
Education, Environmental Protection and Energy, Health, Human
Services, Labor and Higher Education. In the event a Commissioner
is unable to attend a Committee meeting, the Commissioner shall
send a designee empowered to make policy decisions and decisions
regarding the use of that department's resources to ensure the
successful implementation of the Family Development Program.
4. The Committee
shall also be comprised of at least one (1) Aid to Families with
Dependent Children (AFDC) recipient who is currently receiving
services from the Family Development Program. The Committee shall
also consist of at least one (1) General Assistance (GA) recipient
who is currently receiving services from the Family Development
Program.
5. The Committee
shall also be comprised of three (3) directors of Family Development
Centers (one each from the northern, central and southern regions
of the State). The three directors shall be selected by the Commissioner
of Human Services to serve on the Committee. The three directors
shall serve as ex officio, nonvoting members.
6. The Committee
may also be comprised of:
(a.) other
representatives from the Family Development Centers;
(b.) advocates
of and for individuals receiving services through the Family
Development Program;
(c.) representatives
from private sector businesses;
(d.) representatives
from providers and organizations that provide services to individuals
participating in the Family Development Program; and
(e.) other
appropriate individuals.
7. Committee
members shall serve for terms of two (2) years. Committee vacancies
from among the members shall be filled by appointment by the Governor
for the remainder of the unexpired term. No member of the Committee
can serve more than one (1) consecutive full term. Any vacancy
occurring in the membership of the Committee is to be filled in
the same manner as an original appointment and the vacancy is
not to affect the power of the remaining members to execute the
duties of the Committee.
8. The Governor
shall designate the Commissioner of the Department of Human Services
to serve as the Chairperson of the Committee and the Commissioner
of the Department of Education to serve as the Vice Chairperson
of the Committee.
9. The Committee
shall further organize itself and set its own schedule for meetings
as it deems necessary to complete its work.
10. The
Committee is authorized to hold such hearings and forums as the
Committee may determine to be necessary to carry out the duties
of the Council.
11. In performing
its work, the Committee shall work with other existing agencies,
bodies, and providers in the State designed to plan, coordinate
and deliver services to individuals participating in the Family
Development Program. The Committee may also draw upon the assistance
of any department, organization or agency of the State which may
be made available to it for these purposes.
12. This
Order shall take effect immediately.
GIVEN,
under my hand and seal this
24th day of September in the Year of Our
Lord, One Thousand Nine Hundred and
Ninety Three, and of the Independence
of the United States, the Two Hundred
and Eighteenth.
/s/
Jim Florio
Governor
Attest:
/s/ Scott A.
Weiner
Chief Counsel to the Governor
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