Welfare Reauthorization General Op-Ed

As the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act heads for reauthorization this year, social workers believe that significant changes are necessary.

Welfare reform succeeded in reducing the number of families on welfare rolls across the country. However, in moving forward the welfare program should focus on helping families achieve true independence. Many are still struggling to support their families day to day.

The Bush administration’s welfare reform proposal mandates new work requirements and barely mentions the need to support low-income, working families that have managed to leave or avoid welfare but are still poor. Getting people employed is extremely important, but providing the supports to help them get there and stay there should be an even higher priority.

In (your state), many former welfare recipients have moved into the workforce, yet their earnings remain low. *****Give an example of someone who has left welfare since 1996 and describe their situation.***** Many others like (example), struggle daily to support their families and rarely receive benefits such as health insurance and paid vacation and sick leave. If we are to help families such as (example), we need to focus on the long-term solutions for their situations and guide them to the resources that can help.

Welfare Administrators should make sure that frontline caseworkers are trained to guide welfare recipients to supports such as child care, education and training, transportation, food stamps, and Medicaid, as well as make sure that the supply for these benefits meets the demand. Congress should also expand the allowable work activities to include treatment and counseling for mental illness, substance abuse, and domestic violence. People must acquire the tools that enable them to be self-sufficient.

Congress needs to also focus on the front-line caseworkers charged with implementing this new time-limited, work-based system. Too many welfare caseworkers have had insufficient training to make the transition from eligibility clerks checking income requirements and assets to employment counselors helping families overcome real problems and barriers to self-sufficiency.

Social workers believe providing these necessary supports will enable many families to leave welfare permanently.