The Future of Welfare Reauthorization—Striving for Economic Opportunity

Poverty is a social problem stemming from multiple factors—and it’s a problem that cannot be cured simply by a welfare check or a reprimand from the government to get a job. Members of Congress, as shown by the unveiling of the two Senate proposals for welfare reauthorization, are unwilling to recognize the complexity of poverty in these proposals and thus will fail to help many families in the struggle to reach economic security. These proposals, while incrementally better than the one passed by the House, still fall short of helping people escape poverty and succeed in the workplace.

The Senate and House proposals, as well as the Bush administration’s, mandate increases in the work requirements. But they barely mention the need to support working families who have managed to leave or avoid welfare all together but are still poor. Getting people employed is important, but providing the supports to get there, stay there, and move beyond poverty should be an even higher priority.

Another important issue is making sure that welfare caseworkers receive the organizational supports and appropriate training to guide recipients to needed work supports such as childcare, education and training, transportation, food stamps, and Medicaid, and making sure that the supply of these benefits meets the demand.

Congress and the President also need to help states address the “hidden barriers” to employment that some individuals face—barriers such as learning disabilities, domestic violence, physical limitations, mental health issues, and substance abuse. Families receiving welfare benefits today may need more help reaching the opportunities of employment. Welfare agencies are being called upon to provide or arrange more comprehensive services to assist these families in becoming economically self-sufficient. Investing in upgrading the skills of the welfare workforce to serve families with multiple barriers to employment is a necessary first step.

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) urges members of Congress to do what’s right for parents and the well-being of their children by investing in work supports for all low-income families and in the skills and capacities of the welfare agency workforce serving them.