The DC Metro Area Family Economic Security Program (DC FES) is a local member of WOW’s national FES project that provides resources and technical assistance to state and local organizations to implement policies and programs that help low-income families achieve economic security.

WOW provides a variety of career planning and financial literacy services that utilize a family economic security framework in the DC Metro Area. These include:

DC Basic Economic Security Tables (DC BEST)

• The Basic Economic Security Tables for the Washington, DC Metro Area
• The Basic Economic Security Tables for the Washington, DC Metro Area Policy Brief Executive Summary
• DC Metro Area BEST Index Cross Jurisdiction Comparison by Family Type (Excel Spreadsheet)
• DC Metro Area BEST Index Cross Jurisdiction Comparison by Family Type (PDF)
• The Basic Economic Security Tables for the Washington, DC Metro Area Workforce Development Policy Brief
• The Basic Economic Security Tables for the Washington, DC Metro Area Public Assistance Policy Brief
• The Basic Economic Security Tables for the Washington, DC Metro Area Assets Policy Brief

• The Basic Economic Security Tables: DC Metro Area Methodology and Supplemental Data

DC Metro Area Self-Sufficiency Calculator (DCMASSC)

• DCMASSC is an online career and financial counseling tool based on WOW’s Self-Sufficiency Standard for the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area.
• DCMASSC is designed to benefit both individual users and counselors who want to learn more about the real cost of living in the area and want to find jobs, education and training, housing, child care, health care and government benefits.
• For more information, please visit the site at: www.dcmassc.org

Connections to Careers Workshop Series for Teens and Adults

• WOW conducts a career exploration and financial literacy workshop series for both teens and adults called Connections to Careers.  The workshop series is designed to improve lifelong economic security across generations by providing participants with the knowledge, tools and resources to develop a concrete a career plan that will provide economic security for themselves and their families.
• WOW recently launched the Reproductive Health Project, a pilot program with WOW and Healthy Babies, DC, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington’s Ophelia Egypt Program Center and Mary’s Center that aims to reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy in the DC Metro Area by integrating career planning and job readiness services into the three local reproductive health programs.

• WOW continues to provide the adult Connections to Careers workshop series into programming at STRIVE DC and has established new partnerships with the Community College of the District of Columbia and Echelon Community Services.

• WOW has partnered with the District Alliance for Safe Housing on The Empowerment Project, a project designed to help families access their own permanent housing and assist them to stay there-safely and independently through the provision of a rental subsidy and supportive services.  The project has 5 components: financial assessment & empowerment (provided by WOW), assistance finding affordable housing, housing allowance, supportive services (provided by WOW) and follow-up assistance.

DC Metro Resource and Referral Service

• WOW provides phone referrals and information to local callers who seek education, training, and social services resources in the DC Metro Area.

• To obtain information, please call (202) 464-1596, ext. 118.