County Partnership with the County Library System to Provide Human Services

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2020

A partnership between Cuyahoga County, the Cuyahoga County Public Library system, and the Cleveland Public Library has ensured that county residents can conveniently access benefits resources while connecting with education and workforce development programs at their local libraries. By bringing services to neighborhoods via local library branches, Cuyahoga County can reach residents in every community, every age, and every background, regardless of where they are in the county or in life.This partnership has helped to put county residents on a path to a career with a family sustaining wage, and has made county services more easily available throughout our community.Through this partnership, local libraries have become one-stop shops for residents, where they can access workforce development and education programs and also apply for benefits. By offering all these services at local library branches, the County is removing barriers to service, as residents won’t have to go to separate locations to access County services. In 2019 alone, 3,227 human service benefits applications were supported through this program.Services that can be accessed include:•Benefits applications for cash, food, medical, and childcare assistance•Basic Skills Education/Adult Basic Education•High School Equivalency Test Preparation/ Adult Secondary Education•Tests for Training/Employment•Career Pathways Assessment and Counseling•US Citizenship•Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)•English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)•Family Literacy•Digital LiteracyResidents now have convenient access in their community during the day, evenings and weekends at their local Cuyahoga County Library branch and can check to see what services are available through the Aspire Greater Cleveland Program, an additional educational and training support program offered by the county library system.