Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - SNAP Job Placement/SNAP to Success Grant

Funder: Illinois Department of Human Services: Division of Family & Community Services

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program - SNAP Job Placement/SNAP to Success by the Illinois Department of Human Services aims to empower low-income individuals by providing access to food and essential employment training services. This program facilitates education and skill development to enhance employability and self-sufficiency. Participants receive case management and assistance with work-related expenses, ensuring they are supported in their journey toward economic independence and sustainable employment opportunities.

NOTE: The applicant has met the Prequalification and Mandatory Requirements listed in this funding opportunity. Applicants must be prequalified; therefore, applications from entities that have not prequalified prior to the due date of this application will NOT be reviewed and will NOT be considered for funding.
Program Overview
The State of Illinois administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which helps low-income individuals obtain proper access to food and nutrition.
States must also provide employment and training services (E&T) to SNAP program participants. The SNAP JP/SNAP to Success is a program to help customers acquire education and employment related skills and to assist in finding and maintaining employment and is a federally funded SNAP E&T program. The program also helps customers with work-related expenses and continued case management for 90 days after obtaining a job, through their participation in SNAP E&T.
Participation in SNAP E&T enables participants to gain education, work skills and work experience, to meet the federal work requirement, and to improve self-sufficiency. The purpose of SNAP E&T is to help individuals receiving SNAP benefits obtain employment through participation in supervised job search, skills training, education, and work-based learning activities that lead to greater independence and self-sufficiency. The program is open to any SNAP recipient who volunteers to participate in SNAP E&T to improve their skills or advance in their career.
The program delivers services through grants and a third-party reimbursement model, which consists of contractual partnerships between the State of Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) and community-based organizations (CBOs).
Individuals will participate in specific components based upon their individual assessments, identifying strengths and areas for development. All individuals who participate in the SNAP JP/SNAP to Success program must participate in an approved, appropriate component based on their individual assessment and receive case management. Approved components include:Supervised Job Search
Job Retention
Education (Basic Education, Vocational Training, English Language Acquisition, Work Readiness Training)
Work Experience (Internship, On-The-Job-Training, Pre-Apprenticeship, Apprenticeship
Program Goals, and Objectives
The State of Illinois administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) which helps low-income individuals obtain proper access to food and nutrition. The program subsidizes low-income households' income through SNAP benefits which are delivered through the Illinois Link card, an electronic benefits (EBT) card, accepted in most grocery and convenience stores and some farmer's markets.
SNAP Facts for Fiscal Year 2024:

• 15.7% of the Illinois population receives SNAP benefits
• An average of 1.09 million households receive SNAP
• The average monthly benefit per household was $240.00
• 38.3% of the households receiving SNAP benefits have children

States must also provide employment and training services (E&T) to SNAP program participants. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Employment & Training (SNAP E&T) Program is a self-support program to help customers acquire work skills and find employment. The program also helps customers with work-related expenses for the first 30 days of a job and to retain employment they have gained while in the program.
Participation in SNAP E&T enables participants to gain work skills and experience, meet the federal work requirement, and become self-sufficient. Some participants have multiple barriers to employment with limited work histories and experience. The purpose of SNAP E&T is to help individuals receiving SNAP benefits obtain employment through participation in job search, skills training, education and subsidized employment activities that lead to greater independence and self-sufficiency. The program is open to any voluntary participants who may choose to participate in SNAP to Success to improve their skills or advance in their career.
The program delivers services through a third-party reimbursement model, which consists of contractual partnerships between the State of Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) and community-based provider organizations (CBOs). Individuals participate in specific programs based upon their individual assessments, identifying strengths and areas for development. All individuals who participate in the SNAP E&T program must be referred to an appropriate Provider program based on their individual assessment and voluntarily participate for up to 80 hours per month in one or a combination of activities. Approved activities include:

• Basic Education including ABE/GED/ESL
• Supervised Job Search
• Job Readiness Training
• Vocational Training
• Pre-apprenticeship and Apprenticeship Training
• Work Experience (both subsidized and unsubsidized)
• Job Retention