What is MFIP?
The Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) is a state version of TANF (Temporary Aid for Needy Families). This is a program, sometimes known as the welfare system, which provides cash, food, medical insurance and childcare for households with children for up to 60 months. The goal of the program is to get people back on their feet while assisting them in finding employment, furthering their education, and helping individuals become self-sufficient.
What are the qualifications of your clients?
The qualifications are that our clients have to have a dependent child in the home, or be pregnant with their first child. They need to have $3,000 or less in assets. Participants could also be under 18 and have a child while still being eligible for the MFIP program.
What are your client’s demographics?
It depends on the county. In Ramsey County, we serve a predominately refugee population. 99% of our participants have been in the country less than 5 years.
In Hennepin County, the demographics are different in the sense that the majority of the participants were born in the United States and considered the “mainstream” population. African-American, Caucasian, and Asian are the majority, with other groups including Somali and Liberian.
How many positions can you fill?
This really depends on the positions and the locations of these positions. Between both counties, we typically serve around 2000+ participants, with varying degrees of work qualifications.
Do your clients have reliable transportation?
All of our participants can get to work on their own, or provided with transportation assistance through their Employment Counselor or Career Navigator.
What level(s) of education do your clients have?
This also depends on the county and population we serve. Overall, our participants’ education range from less than high school diploma to graduate degrees.