You have probably never heard of this particular pet cat, but CSBG funds local community action agencies. These agencies administer the energy assistance that helps people in poverty pay their energy bills (especially families with elderly or young children). They also do life skills training, food assistance, Head Start, Family Literacy, Tax assistance, and more.
Poverty is not a sexy issue, but alleviating the effects of poverty is what community action does. So what, you say? Well, considering that impoverished areas have lower graduation rates, higher crime, are a larger burden on the health care system because of poor nutrition (ever try to grocery shop in an impoverished neighborhood?) and substandard housing...it becomes a benefit to the entire community to reduce poverty.
Head Start helps kids come to school ready to learn. Community Services Block Grant allows community action to do a needs assessment in the community and develop local programs specifically designed to fit in that community. If your community's problem is a high school dropout rate, Community Action Agencies have the flexibility to work with the school system to develop program that help encourage kids to stay in school.
So, when President Obama identified Community Action as an area he'd be willing to cut, I was pretty upset. My job isn't paid for through CSBG...but what is means is that he's willing to balance the budget on the backs of our poorest citizens.
In order to qualify for a CSBG project you have to earn less than 125% of the federal poverty guideline. That's $22,050 for a family of 4.
The cut off must be higher then that. They put my daughter in Head Start, when we were making around 30k a year back five years or so ago. That or they have more guidelines then just income mabey?
Head start is not technically a CSBG program so the guidelines may be different. It is simply another one of the programs typically (but not always) run by Community Action Agencies. They are related however, in that many families who are at the federal poverty guideline are referred to family assistance from Head Start so it's an important gateway program for us to work with entire families on self sufficiency.
You have probably never heard of this particular pet cat, but CSBG funds local community action agencies. These agencies administer the energy assistance that helps people in poverty pay their energy bills (especially families with elderly or young children). They also do life skills training, food assistance, Head Start, Family Literacy, Tax assistance, and more.
Poverty is not a sexy issue, but alleviating the effects of poverty is what community action does. So what, you say? Well, considering that impoverished areas have lower graduation rates, higher crime, are a larger burden on the health care system because of poor nutrition (ever try to grocery shop in an impoverished neighborhood?) and substandard housing...it becomes a benefit to the entire community to reduce poverty.
Head Start helps kids come to school ready to learn. Community Services Block Grant allows community action to do a needs assessment in the community and develop local programs specifically designed to fit in that community. If your community's problem is a high school dropout rate, Community Action Agencies have the flexibility to work with the school system to develop program that help encourage kids to stay in school.
So, when President Obama identified Community Action as an area he'd be willing to cut, I was pretty upset. My job isn't paid for through CSBG...but what is means is that he's willing to balance the budget on the backs of our poorest citizens.
In order to qualify for a CSBG project you have to earn less than 125% of the federal poverty guideline. That's $22,050 for a family of 4.
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