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Story: The Grace Hill Settlement in St Louis is one of the pioneers of Co-Production using Time Dollars. Their Member-Organized Resource Exchange (MORE) now underpins community involvement in 11 neighborhood centers and four health centers. Their involvement in the Head Start program dates back to 2001 when they won the contract to deliver the program to half the city of St Louis, mainly because of their proven ability to involve hard-to-reach groups through MORE.

Head Start is a child development and family-strengthening program for families with 3-5 year olds, and goes back to 1964. It is enormously effective as a preparation for kindergarten. But now that poor parents are expected to work, it has become increasingly difficult to get exhausted parents involved. That's where MORE and Time Dollars come in, because it motivates them to stay involved in the community, and pass on what they have learned through the program.

Head Start through MORE is in its early stages, but 820 families with young pre-school age children are now involved. They have been trained in all the MORE programs, and many were already involved though other Grace Hill activities. Head Start involves parents in training in childcare and other skills, but linking it to MORE adds a further Co-Production element: they are earning Time Dollars for their efforts helping neighbors, and spending them in the nine Time Dollar stores across the city – or at health centers run by Grace Hill.

The next stage of development is in a new center that allows Grace Hill to involve new Americans – refugees and other new immigrants groups – both in Head Start and MORE.

Grace Hill also runs a Neighborhood College whereby locals can exchange Time Dollars for courses in anything from job skills to dealing with diabetes. A total of 60 different courses are run by and for neighbors, and 2,300 were completed in 2002.

Training single mothers in childcare, and allowing them to get the necessary qualifications – and paying them in Time Dollars which they can use for their own childcare while they attend the courses – is also the central plank of innovative programs in two sites in Britain, one in Leicester and one in the rural Cotswolds.

Additional Resources

Books

No More Throw-Away People: The Co-Production Imperative (2nd Edition, Essential Books 2004)

By Time Dollar founder, Edgar S. Cahn. Describes how and why Time Dollars support and build community, and provides an in-depth explanation of how Time Dollars and Co-Production operate as a force for social change.

Also available in Spanish.

Time Dollars: The New Currency that Enables Americans to Turn Their Hidden Resource-Time-into Personal Security & Community Renewal (Rodale Press 1992)

By Edgar Cahn and Jonathan Rowe. This is the earliest book written about Time Dollars. It explains how the things we used to do for one another have turned into things we have to buy and introduces you to Time Dollar pioneers who have lead the way out of our money bind.

Articles

It's the Core Economy stupid: An Open Letter to the Non-profit Community

This article explores the Core Economy as the invisible force under girding all social and economic development in our society.

Non Monetary Economy

This article examines the critical contributions of the non-monetary economy

Co-Production Principle

This article demonstrates how welfare and social services only work effectively when they are jointly produced by professionals and beneficiaries

The New Philanthropy

This article explores how Co-Production and reciprocity can change the social welfare system
See the following publications for recent articles
about Time Dollars and Co-Production.

Building Community with Time Dollars

A peer technical assistance match between
Des Moines, Iowa; Indianapolis, Indiana; San Antonio, Texas; El Paso, Texas; and Washington, DC

PEER TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE LEADS TO ACTION

Part of a Series from the Technical Assistance Resource Center of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Center for the Study of Social Policy

Keeping the GP Away

A NEF briefing about community Time Banks and Health, with special thanks to Dr Isabel Garcia

Sustainability and Social Assets:
the Potential of Time Banks and Co-Production
by David Boyle

The Time Bank: Investing Time in Communities

Article on Time Banking in Israel

People Who Need People

The Morning Call, a newspaper of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Dec 16, 2003. For a small fee, this article can be downloaded from www.mcall.com. Go to the Archives section on the left hand side and enter the date and title of the article.

Good Skills Make Good Neighbors

Better Homes and Gardens magazine, March 2004. Available as a link for BHG subscribers, or email us for a copy.

Is This How to End Public Service Failure

The New Statesman, a UK magazine, February 23, 2004.