Lorain County awards TANF subgrants for school clothing, aims to serve 2,800+ children

The Lorain County Board of Commissioners authorized three subgrant agreements under the county’s TANF-funded clothing, shoes and jacket program for school-aged children.

Chris Cabot, director of Job and Family Services, told the board the county contracted with three vendors — Horizon Education Centers (the largest award), Tower Educational Consulting Group and El Centro — to provide clothing and shoes for TANF-eligible households for the upcoming school year. Cabot said last year the program served 2,813 children and that the county prioritized vendors headquartered in Lorain County and those that manage marketing and distribution, including shopper-assisted options so families can select clothing rather than receiving prepackaged kits.

Why it matters: the program uses federal TANF funds administratively overseen by the county to address children’s basic needs and reduce stigmatization that sometimes resulted from one-size-fits-all clothing distributions in prior years.

Details: Cabot said Horizon accounted for most of last year’s service (roughly 2,650 children) and received an authorized amount of $1,118,200 for the upcoming term; two additional vendors were authorized at $65,900 each. Commissioners asked about oversight and measurement; Cabot said the county monitors contractors, requires deliverable reporting and will evaluate expenditures after the season to ensure funds are used for intended services rather than marketing alone.

The board approved all three agreements by unanimous roll call.