Relationships Matter
Frontline staff developed close and trusting relationships with participants — often through one-on-one coaching. This approach helped participants get move involved and even stick with the program longer.
This report discusses the evolution and impact of the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Center for Working Families (CWF) framework, which is an integrated service delivery approach designed to help low-income families achieve financial security. Introduced in 2004, CWF focused on three core service strands: 1) workforce development and employment services; 2) financial literacy education and coaching; and 3) improved access to public benefits.
In addition to this document, readers can explore a series of profiles that capture the implementation experiences of three CWF sites. The three organizations profiled are: 1) The Jane Addams Resource Corporation in Chicago; 2) Local Initiatives Support Corporation Indianapolis; and 3) SparkPoint at Skyline College in San Bruno, California.
Casey’s CWF framework bundled traditional workforce development and employment support with two new offerings: 1) help with accessing public benefits; and 2) financial literacy education and coaching. This approach aimed to clear barriers — such as unreliable child care and transportation, inadequate connections to health services and predatory lending practices — that too often destabilized the financial security of families.