News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The enrollment period for Empower Upper Cumberland begins February 15th.
Director Megan Spurgeon shared the start date to local leaders during a UCHRA Policy Council meeting last week. Spurgeon said the pilot initiative will accept up to 800 low-income families to help them move up the economic ladder.
“We still have a few more kinks to workout on how that is going to work,” Spurgeon said. “So, what we are asking people to do is give us two weeks to fully vet out that system. Make sure our work flows and processes are good and everyone has been trained and comfortable with that.”
Once live, families will be able to visit empoweruppercumberland.org to apply for services. Spurgeon said so far, six families have been enrolled as a sample size to test the system.
A stipulation of the $25 million in state funding backing the three-year program is hard data to prove the initiative is working. Spurgeon said the first 700 eligible families will be randomly selected into a control group using existing services or a test group using the Empower Upper Cumberland route.
“It is going to be a little painful, because we are going to have good families that are trying to do better that we’re not going to be able to give all the services to,” UCHRA Executive Director Mark Farley said. “That’s only going to be for the first year. As soon as that first year is under way, we are going to get them wrapped into everything that we can do.”
Spurgeon said the data will show if the new mentor program is an upgrade over existing services. Farley said a third-party will review the data to show that the model works, so future funding can be explored.
Spurgeon said as families reach career milestones through each program, they will receive cash payments.
