In 2017, 2018, and 2021 the Virginia General Assembly (GA), appropriated funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant to provide funding for competitive grants for community employment and training programs designed to move current and former TANF participants, and those with incomes 200% or less of the poverty level, into meaningful employment. Each appropriation year, VDSS awarded these competitive grants in three rounds.

Through the initial request for proposal (RFP) process, several organizations and agencies received grants in round one which is when the funding was established. Round one encompassed the period from July 2017 to July 2022. It is important to note round one funding was made available through contracts secured through an RFP; there is a limit on the number of times a contract can be renewed before another RFP must be initiated. As a result, round one contracts were unable to be renewed beyond July 2022 without initiating a new RFP. Round two ran/runs July 2019 to July 2023, and round three runs from July 2021 to July 2028.

To date this program has supported 5,933 participants in obtaining meaningful employment.

• 13,511 Participants

• 5,933 Entered Employment

• 2,366 Employed with Benefits

• 2,218 in Part-Time Employment

• 3,905 in Full-Time Employment