(Maryland DHCD) Community Services Connection Bulletin

Public Comments Now Accepted for MD's COVID-19 Dislocated Worker Grant Policy  On March 13, 2020, a national emergency was declared in response to the impact of COVID-19, allowing the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to make Dislocated Worker Grants (DWG) available to fund disaster relief efforts and support workers dislocated by the pandemic. Dislocated Worker Grants (DWG) are discretionary grants awarded by the Secretary of USDOL to provide employment-related services for dislocated workers. Specifically, Disaster Recovery DWGs provide disaster relief and humanitarian assistance employment, as well as employment and training services, as appropriate, to minimize the employment and economic impact of declared disasters and emergency situations. In addition, DWG resources can be used to help cover expenses that are related to employment, such as transportation and childcare (see pages 10-12 of the draft policy). Recognizing the importance that Community Action Agencies and Continuums of Care can have in connecting these resources to individuals in need, CAAs and CoCs have been explicitly identified as community partners that should be engaged with as part of DWG outreach efforts (see page 7 of the draft policy). Subsequently, we wanted to ensure you all were aware of this draft policy and the opportunity to provide feedback. A copy of the draft policy can be found here. Please submit comments directly to gracea.kelly@maryland.gov no later than close of business on Friday, September 25, 2020. A review team will consider all feedback prior to issuing a final draft.