“This position of a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Navigator is new; it’s never been done at a college in Louisiana before. This is about changing the lives, changing the mindset of people who may not have considered furthering their education.”
Robin Winston, Interim Financial Aid Director at South Louisiana Community College, says SLCC is breaking the mold with a transformative addition to the staff, a new TANF Navigator. Tanya Martinez joined SLCC in January 2023 and has been busy changing lives since.
“There is a real need,” explains Martinez. “I’ve been here since the start of the year, and in that time, I’ve received around 40 referrals. I’ve been able to help people understand what SLCC offers and how it’s achievable in their lives.”
The TANF program is designed to help low-income families with children achieve economic self-sufficiency. States use TANF to fund monthly cash assistance payments to those families, as well as a wide range of services. Now part of those services includes navigating a better education through SLCC.
“We were blown away by the Adult Education programs at SLCC,” explains Lorrie Briggs, with the Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services. “There were such caring instructors. The TANF Navigators can now help our recipients understand these programs and what it takes to enroll and complete their education.”
Briggs was instrumental in creating this new position. It’s modeled off similar programs in a handful of other areas in the U.S., but this position is a first for the state of Louisiana. Briggs explains that, just over two years ago, DCFS created a workforce section; and while the department always encouraged training and education, now TANF recipients will have help realizing what is available.
“Our STEP Program is the work mandated program for people receiving cash assistance. We use a research-based model and case management that actually engages the participants. We ask them about what their goals are, and we help them create plans to meet those goals. We know that the TANF Navigator will now help engage them in a similar way.”
The position at SLCC is operating off a one-year pilot agreement between the college and DCFS and will likely be renewed. It aligns with the college’s mission to raise the education rate across Acadiana, promote workforce development and economic growth, and provide sustainable wages for families.
“Education is the most powerful tool we have to help our community,” says Dr. Crystal Lee, Vice Chancellor of Academic and Student Affairs. “The goals of DCFS for this program align perfectly with the mission of SLCC. When this opportunity came to us, we saw the potential for Acadiana.”
Once a TANF recipient is referred to the new program, Martinez then guides them through what will be their next steps in furthering their education. In many cases, the first step may be getting a high-school diploma; for others it may be understanding financial aid or a certification process.
“This is a population that we are trying to help open their horizons to higher education. Some of them may have to start with High School Equivalency Test and get their high school diploma,” says Martinez. “However, we are here to show them there’s a path between where they are and an education or certification that will make them highly employable very quickly.”
She describes her role as helping people navigate through SLCC, and providing assistance with financial aid, classes, tutoring, and anything else they might need. Briggs adds that the TANF Navigator role has the ability to be life-changing, not just for the single participants, but for their families, and the community as a whole.
“There are lots of tech jobs out there, and there’s this belief that some people in Louisiana can’t do those jobs. I really challenge that misconception.” Briggs continues, “If you don’t know the steps, how can you even imagine that this is the path for you? That’s what we see as SLCC doing for us and the community, opening up the pathway, so they can imagine themselves as an engineer, a nurse, or as someone who’s in computer science.”
Briggs says replicating this pilot program is key. DCFS has teamed up with the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center (Blanco Center) to develop good data to drive practices. She is pushing for a strong evaluation process of this program so it can be launched at other community colleges in the state.
“It’s just beginning but we want to spread a poverty informed approach to education with the community colleges. SLCC’s TANF Navigator will also help others at the college understand where our participants start from and how education can really fit into their lives. We want the community to understand that anything is possible, and they have infinite capacity.”
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