Helping Families Improve Their Economic Mobility Making key investments so every individual, child, and family is economically and socially secure. Supporting the Self-Sufficiency of Individuals and Families Modernizing the child support program and related child support automated systems to align with national best practices is critical to children and families receiving the financial and medical support needed to thrive. Providing $27 million over the biennium will support the implementation of modern technology, automation, and business intelligence designed to meet the ongoing needs of the child support program, while providing flexibility for future system enhancements. Combined with funding for programs to help reduce child support debt for low-income non-custodial parents, these investments will help the state continue to support the self-sufficiency of individuals and families and build thriving communities. Providing Job Training and Skills for Our Future Success DCF is dedicated to helping everyone who wants to work find meaningful employment. The budget supports this effort in several ways. Increased funding for the Transform Milwaukee Jobs and Transitional Jobs programs to expand program eligibility connects more unemployed, low-income adults across the state with employment opportunities. Providing additional dollars for Skills Enhancement Grants helps working, low-income individuals obtain the skills they need to compete for living wage jobs, as recommended by the Interagency Council on Homelessness. Investing $2 million over the biennium to fund Jobs for America’s Graduates-Wisconsin provides educational support and job or postsecondary readiness for young people around the state setting them up to succeed. Growing and Sustaining Local Solutions Fostering economic security is an essential function of local government and community agencies around the state. The budget proposes an annual increase of $14 million in funding for Child Support Agencies to improve services to child support participants so they are in a better position to support their families both financially and emotionally. Additionally, the budget provides a foundational investment to implement a Housing, Opportunity, Planning and Empowerment (HOPE) program to provide financial literacy and empowerment services to families receiving Wisconsin Works (W-2) benefits. The budget also provides $14 million a year to restart the Living Independently through Financial Empowerment (LIFE) program, which provided temporary assistance to domestic abuse survivors to help them achieve financial independence. This information is also available as an Adobe pdf file for download, share, or print. Detailed information about DCF's budget request can be found using the department's summary of budget recommendations.
