Dakota Prairie Community Action Agency

Community Action History

National Perspective

The signing of the Economic Opportunity Act by President Lyndon B. Johnson was the legislation that gave birth to what are today Community Action Agencies (CAAs). This legislation was designed to initiate a War on Poverty that would be lead by CAAs. Initially the War on Poverty was waged in the larger cities across the country, however, it became increasingly apparent that poverty was an insidious problem throughout the country for those living in both urban and rural localities. The early years of the War on Poverty were filled with challenges and struggles because it was tackling a very difficult problem and dealing with a complex political situation. Many mayors in the larger urban communities did not believe that they needed independent agencies with their allowed scope of influence operating freely within their community. Some of the influence and power earlier bestowed on CAAs was lessened to some degree during its infancy to accommodate a number of large city mayors, particularly Mayor Daly of Chicago.

The developments during the late 1960s and early 1970s lead to the development of the Community Services Administration (CSA) that was formed to put on added muscle into the War on Poverty and solidify CAAs as a integral part of the federal government response to the issues and problems facing those that exist in poverty throughout the country. CSA was largely an ineffective agency that hurt the cause of CAAs rather than improved the level of respect from the federal government toward the Community Action Network. The 1970s offered many missed opportunities and ultimately lead to a serious threat by the Nixon Administration to close down CAAs and effectively end the War on Poverty. CAAs persevered, however, in a very wounded state that resulted in a weakened network as it entered the 1980s.

Early in the 1980s CSA was eliminated and the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) was developed to provide base funding for the Community Action Network. CSBG effectively became one of the first block grants made by the federal government to the states. Although this funding was called a block grant it included provisions that required that 90% of the funding go to established CAAs within the state thus allowing CAAs some degree of control over how the funding was distributed within the state.

During the first twenty-five years of existence CAAs struggled against enormous odds, survived and actually accomplished some noteworthy achievements. CAAs started Head Start, Foster Grandparent Program, Low Income Home Energy Assistance, Home Weatherization Program, Legal Services and Upward Bound. CAAs were also instrumental in the development of many community day care facilities, senior meals and services, WEC, VISTA, job training activities and a variety of other programs and services not specifically associated with the Community Action Network.

The fact that the early years of CAA evolution did not always have a positive tone and many political struggles were overcome should not diminish the fact that CAAs did survive. This survival mentality has helped the Community Action Network be somewhat resilient and adaptable to the political winds that often change with great frequency in Congress. The strength and survival of CAAs is largely a product of legislative work done within Congress. Today, CAAs have wide spread bipartisan support in Congress and have done well with funding during these times of fiscal constraint.

Local Perspective

Dakota Prairie Community Action Agency (DPCAA) is a private, tax exempt organization that was incorporated to be a human service provider within a six (6) county service area in north central North Dakota. DPCAA provides services and assistance to lower income households and others, in need, within the counties of Rolette, Towner, Cavalier, Eddy, Benson and Ramsey. The DPCAA main office is located in Devils Lake and satellite offices are located in Langdon and Rolla. The satellite offices are staffed locations that provide most of the services and assistance available through DPCAA. A number of the services offered by DPCAA operate out of the main office but provide assistance throughout the six county service area. The Child & Adult Care Food Program provides meal reimbursement assistance within a 10 county service area.

DPCAA is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of low income, public and private sector representatives from service area counties. The low income representative is someone that is democratically elected by the low income residents of a given county to represent their interests on the board. The public representative is either an elected official, usually a county commissioner, or his/her designee, that represents the interests of the local government on the board. The private sector representative is someone that has been selected by a private group or organization such as Ministerial Association, Jaycees, Optimist Club or Senior Citizens Group that will represent the interests of the general public or private sector on the board.