Spring Break
FEC and FSD provide resources for parental empowerment
Heather Sprigler
Issue date: 10/29/07 Section: News
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Financial help is available for some women with children, but not everyone eligible takes advantage of it.
The Women's Center hosted a seminar Oct. 23, to provide information on the resources offered by the state of Missouri. Many parents attended - some with their children - and learned what options are available.
Full Employment Council (FEC) career development executive Donna Terry, who specializes in helping women with children, and Family Support Division trainer Lucy Torres offered their expertise and explained details of the various regulations for the state programs.
Terry said many women come to the FEC after they have received a letter of engagement from the state of Missouri. This letter usually states something to this effect: If you would like to continue receiving TANF (temporary assistance for needy families) benefits, you need to enroll in career or education counseling.
TANF is a federal grant program for families that qualify. Missouri's TANF program restricts families to 60 months of benefits in a lifetime. During the time you receive TANF, you have to fulfill requirements to help you learn to sustain yourself.
The FEC offers a career assistance program, an orientation-like seminar, to inform potential clients as to the benefits of using FEC. After completion of the career assistance program, clients can begin their core activities. These can include GED courses, taking a job assessment test, developing interviewing skills, practicing with mock interviews, or even job searching.
"FEC is a fabulous resource for anyone," Torres said. "They will actually recruit employers to hire you."
FEC offers both job searching assistance and subsidized work experience. They also offer clothing vouchers so their clients can get clothing appropriate for their new work environments.
"This is not about us paying your utilities or fixing your car," Terry said.
She said she is frustrated by people who come to her program with excuses for why they simply cannot do the things they are supposed to do. The FEC program is there to empower their clients, not to be another handout, according to Terry.
The Women's Center hosted a seminar Oct. 23, to provide information on the resources offered by the state of Missouri. Many parents attended - some with their children - and learned what options are available.
Full Employment Council (FEC) career development executive Donna Terry, who specializes in helping women with children, and Family Support Division trainer Lucy Torres offered their expertise and explained details of the various regulations for the state programs.
Terry said many women come to the FEC after they have received a letter of engagement from the state of Missouri. This letter usually states something to this effect: If you would like to continue receiving TANF (temporary assistance for needy families) benefits, you need to enroll in career or education counseling.
TANF is a federal grant program for families that qualify. Missouri's TANF program restricts families to 60 months of benefits in a lifetime. During the time you receive TANF, you have to fulfill requirements to help you learn to sustain yourself.
The FEC offers a career assistance program, an orientation-like seminar, to inform potential clients as to the benefits of using FEC. After completion of the career assistance program, clients can begin their core activities. These can include GED courses, taking a job assessment test, developing interviewing skills, practicing with mock interviews, or even job searching.
"FEC is a fabulous resource for anyone," Torres said. "They will actually recruit employers to hire you."
FEC offers both job searching assistance and subsidized work experience. They also offer clothing vouchers so their clients can get clothing appropriate for their new work environments.
"This is not about us paying your utilities or fixing your car," Terry said.
She said she is frustrated by people who come to her program with excuses for why they simply cannot do the things they are supposed to do. The FEC program is there to empower their clients, not to be another handout, according to Terry.
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