News from
PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
Office of Communications
Stanhope Hall
Princeton, New Jersey 08544-5264
Telephone 609-258-3601; Fax 609-258-1301Contact: Patricia Coen (609) 258-5764
Date: March 24, 1999
Press Advisory:
"Welfare Reform and the Faith Community: A Conference at Princeton"
PRINCETON, N.J. -- A one-day, invitation-only conference designed to examine and enhance the role that New Jersey's faith community plays in welfare reform will be held at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs on Friday, March 26, from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Sponsored by the Woodrow Wilson School and the University's Center for the Study of American Religion, the conference will bring together clergy from central New Jersey, leaders of faith-based and nonprofit social service programs, state and county human service administrators, and academic researchers. The participants will work together to develop a strategy for greater collaboration among the faith community, state, county, and local service providers, and to identify ways to increase the services available to families and individuals moving from welfare to work.
The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, signed into law in August 1996, encourages states to work with faith-based organizations to provide government-funded welfare services to the poor. This provision, the "Charitable Choice" clause, is intended to expand the role of religious organizations in helping those on public assistance meet the requirements of the new welfare law. It allows faith-based organizations to apply for contracts or grants that enable them to deliver services such as childcare, transportation, and job readiness programs, and reflects the hope that religious organizations will provide the moral encouragement that can help break the cycle of poverty and despair among long-term welfare recipients.
The State of New Jersey has launched two major faith-based initiatives to address the needs of families and individuals striving to become employed and self-sufficient: the $5 million Faith-Based and Community Development Initiative, administered by the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, which is designed to assist in the creation and expansion of community development organizations; and the Faith-Based Organizations Task Force for Work First New Jersey (WFNJ), established by the New Jersey Department of Human Services. The task force focuses its efforts on three major areas: outreach and education; assessment of effective models of service delivery; and policy development and advocacy on behalf of welfare recipients.
Note to Reporters: Although the event is not open to the public, reporters are welcome. If you are interested in covering all or part of the conference, please call Patricia Coen at 609-258-5764 to reserve space.
The Schedule:
All events will take place in Robertson Hall
8:30-9:00 Registration
9:00 Greeting and Invocation by Rev. Dr. Joseph C. Williamson, Princeton's Dean of Religious Life
9:15 Plenary Session
Introduction by Professor of Politics and International Affairs John DiIulio, author of Improving Government Performance: An Owner's Manual
Speakers:
• Gene Martorony, deputy director of the NJ Department of Human Services, Division of Family Development. "Update on WFNJ Implementation."
• El Rhonda Williams-Alston, program manager, NJ DCA Faith-Based Community Development Initiative
• Rev. Michael Nabors, co-chair of WFNJ Faith-Based Organizations Task Force. "Strengthening the Role of the Faith Community."
10:30 Workshops
• Resources: Where and How to Get them
• Targeting the Hard-to-Reach (teens; clients at the end of the 24-month clock/work requirement; substance abusers)
• Community Services: Making it Count for You and WFNJ
• Collaboration: Developing and Strengthening Collaboration with the State and Local Providers
• Child Care: Making the Transition from Welfare to Work Easier
12:00 Lunch
1:00 "Welfare Reform: Key Findings from Recent Research"
• A talk by Edward Freeland, associate director of Princeton's Survey Research Center
2:00 Workshops