The shrinking staff at the Athens County Job and Family Services is preparing for 2010 with fewer resources and higher demand than last year.
Jack Frech, director of Job and Family Services, released the 2008 to 2009 annual report Nov. 3 detailing major blows in funding the agency has taken all year.
Though most state funding increased because of the federal stimulus package, the Prevention, Retention and Contingency program, which financially aids families with children during emergencies, suffered a 53 percent decrease in funding.
The agency cut part of the program by eliminating funds for car maintenance and work uniforms and also helped about 430 fewer people at the end of the year than at the beginning, according to the report.
Unfortunately
the bottom line is that life for our poorest citizens has gotten worse Frech stated. Now as the economy continues to fall
they are waiting side-by-side in our offices and in the local food pantry lines with people who never imagined they would find themselves here.
But state funding for Medicaid increased by 19 percent, cash assistance by 13 percent and food assistance by 34 percent as the number of caseloads skyrocketed, according to the report.
As a result, agency spending increased from $94.4 million in 2008 to $109.8 million in 2009.
The number of people receiving cash assistance and food assistance increased by 10 percent and 11 percent over the course of the year, according to the report.
With demand reaching record highs, the staff struggled to keep up because 24 employees were laid off as a result of agency budget cuts, said Nick Claussen, the agency's community relations' coordinator.
Because programs such as Medicaid, cash assistance and food assistance are classified as essential
they cannot be eliminated, Claussen said.
But additional programs funded by the agency are the first to be cut when money is tight, he added.
The Planet Teen pregnancy prevention program, which hosted 83 presentations for high-school students, was eliminated this year.
The agency also had to halt its Dental Care program this year, which provided dental service to Medicaid-eligible clients.
This is the time when we should be helping people in need
but instead we are having to reduce funding
Claussen said.
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Laura Service
