Speech #870253153

To elucidate upon the little heralded job being done by the Department of Health. Education and Welfare. let us examine those 11 committee recommendations and see just what the Department has done with them. Recommendation No. 1 called for an accelerated program of resettlement. in accord with humanitarian principles. bearing in mind the interest of the Cuban refugees. as well as relief in the Miami area. Since November 1961. the Department has designated a senior officer in the center in Miami to concentrate on resettlement. added competent personnel to undertake an effective program of information. publicity. and promotion to inform and gain the support of the American people in resettlements. modified the granting of assistance to make it more an incentive for refugees to resettle and less a reason for remaining in Miami. solicited and gained the support of the resettlement activity from the mayors of the larger cities and the Governors of the States. obtained the support of growing numbers of service organizations like the Junior Chamber. the Kiwanis. the Rotary. and of organizations professionally experienced in refugee work like the International Institutes for Immigration and Naturalization. substantially increased the staff and the role of the U.S. Employment Service of the Department of Labor. provided more ample space in which increased agency staffs can prepare the refugees more quickly for resettlement. and encouraged resettlements in groups by way of charter or freedom flights. The total impact of many of these measures will not be realized for some time. I refer to such activities as the documentary films and exhibits. the increased space allotted for larger voluntary agency staffs. the growing number of civic committees being organized by mayors. the State commissions being organized or reactivated by Governors. the production of larger numbers of sponsors resulting from the changes in the public assistance programparticularly the payment of a "transitional allowance" to resettling refugees. Recommendation No. 2 called for a continuation of the primary resettlement responsibility with the voluntary agencies with more frequent and intensive consultations with the Department of Health. Education. and Welfare. In this light. daily consultations. at the actual operating level. occur daily in Miami. In addition there are frequent contacts in Washington between the voluntary agencies and the headquarters staff. During this year. 1962. two fullscale conferences dealing with the Cuban refugee problem have been held with the executive staff of the private agencies and the top Social Security staff. Recommendation 3 called for steppedup activity of the U.S. Employment Service to identify occupational information and to develop employment opportunities.