Related Research

Joan Sila, Assistant Vice President of Residential & Transition Services, on Unemployed Families and Ohio Works First

In Ohio, the October 2009 unemployment rates ranged from 6.7% in Geauga County to 15.9 % in Highland County. The unemployment rate for Cuyahoga County was 8.6% placing Cuyahoga #76 out of the 88 Ohio counties with Highland being #1 and Geauga being #88. Cuyahoga County has 15.7% of its population of 1,283,925 living in poverty.

The Cuyahoga County Department of Employment and Family Services provides cash assistance and services to more than 121,000 families. This is a 4% increase over the past 12 months. Each month on average, 160 families exhaust their 36 months of cash assistance. Finding quality employment becomes critical for these families. The Employment and Family Services Ohio Works First Programs contract with many community organizations to provide training and employment opportunities to the unemployed. At the Job, Education and Training (JET) Center each individual is assigned a “self-sufficiency” coach who helps the individual access the programs and services needed to obtain and retain employment. 

Any individual participating in an Ohio Works First Program must sign a Self-Sufficiency contract agreeing to participate in work activities for 30 to 35 hours per week. Work activities include vocational training, college, job readiness, job search, paid and unpaid work experience and job placement.

To learn more about services available to unemployed families in Cuyahoga County go to http://employment.cuyahogacounty.us/OWF.htm.

To learn more about Berea Children’s Home and Family Services’ W.O.R.K. Programs contact Sue Lagina, Employment and Transitional Services, at 216-426-8525 x132 or slagina@bchfs.org.