Contact:
Topf Wells, 266-9069 or David W. Carlson, 242-6424
Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk today announced that the county has signed a
contract with the State Department of Workforce Development to continue operating
the W-2 program in Dane and three other counties as part of the Capitol Consortium.
The consortium, which includes Dane, Sauk, Marquette and Dodge Counties, was
formed two years ago.
“Declining financial support from the state for W-2 and some other program changes
caused us to look hard at whether we should continue to operate this program,” said
County Executive Falk. “In the end, we decided the people served by W-2 in Dane
County would be best served by our continued involvement with the program and the
connections to other important human services programs that we provide.”
She continued: “Dane County staff have always worked hard to run the W-2 program
as effectively and economically as possible. Their skill and experience will enable us to
continue this program so that it helps low income parents move up the economic ladder
without generating costs for the counties’ property taxpayers.”
The new W-2 contract between the State and the Capitol Consortium covers a fouryear
period from 2006-2009. Previous contracts have been for two-year periods. The
new contract provides the Capitol Consortium with $11,446,401 to operate W-2 in the
four counties for the next two years (2006-2007) of which $9,774,160 is allocated to
Dane County. The Capitol Consortium received $14.5 million for the 2004-2005
contract period while the four counties had received a total of $19.8 million to operate
W-2 in the 2002-2003 contract.
Each county in the consortium operated its own W-2 program, since W-2’s inception in
1997, before joining forces in 2003. Wisconsin Works replaced the Aid to Families with
Dependent Children (AFDC) program in September 1997 and focuses on finding work
for W-2 participants, including unsubsidized employment, community service jobs, trial
jobs, and transition to work activities.
Each county operates the program under its human services department, providing
seamless links to other non-W-2 services that may benefit W-2 participants, such as
child care, short term training, job placement, transportation, food share, medical
assistance and Badger Care. W-2 is based on work participation and personal
responsibility. The program is available to low-income parents with minor children.
Each W-2 eligible participant meets with a Financial and Employment Planner (FEP),
who helps the individual develop a self-sufficiency plan and determine his or her place
on the W-2 employment ladder.
In 2004, more than 1,200 Dane County families participated in the W-2 program at
some point. The average monthly W-2 caseload in Dane County so far has been a little
over 400 families.
