The New Year will bring a new opportunity for delivering public assistance programming in Kenosha and Racine counties as the two entities join together for a regional approach to service delivery effective Jan. 1, 2012.
County Executive Jim Kreuser announced that the two counties will form Wisconsin’s Kenosha Racine Partners (WKRP) consortium in an effort to provide effective and efficient Income Maintenance (IM) services for residents living in both counties. Income Maintenance programs include FoodShare, Badgercare, Badgercare CORE, and a variety of other Medical Assistance programs.
The WKRP consortium is one of 10 regional consortia that have been formed across the State under Wisconsin Statute 49.78 that was passed into law in the 2011-13 State biennial budget.
“As demands for services increase and funding levels decrease we have to look at creative ways to combine our limited resources and continue providing the exceptional level of service that our customers have come to expect,†Kreuser said.
County Human Services representatives from both counties have been working together over the last several months to design and merge the two IM delivery systems so that they meet the needs of both communities. Beginning in January 2012 individuals can access Income Maintenance services in person at either the Kenosha or Racine location, or by dialing a Call Center phone.
The Kenosha locations are the Job Center/Human Services Building, 8600 Sheridan Road, Kenosha, or the Kenosha County Center, 19600 75th St., Paddock Lake; and the Racine location is the Human Services Department, 1717 Taylor Ave., Racine. The Call Center phone number is: Toll-Free Phone Number: 1-888-794-5820 Toll-Free Fax Number for Verifications: 1-855-293-1822
That is good news, only I hope you have a way to truely stop all the fraud and forged identifications. The tax payers have had enough.