NCJ Number
170913
Journal
Scientific American Volume: 275 Issue: 4 Dated: (October 1996) Pages: 60-67
Date Published
1996
Length
8 pages
Annotation
If recent Federal welfare revisions are to be prevented from increasing the homelessness and disintegration of poor female- headed households, then States must assume the responsibility for providing services and resources for families whose economic, educational, and psychological disabilities make it impossible for them to survive without significant and targeted government help.
Abstract
The welfare revisions enacted by Congress in 1996 abolished Aid for Families with Dependent Children as an entitlement, ending six decades of guaranteed Federal assistance to poor parents and their children. Cash relief is now tightly tied to work, and strict time limits are set on maintaining support. In addition, the legislation severely restricts eligibility for food stamps, Medicaid, and other benefits, cutting $56 billion from antipoverty programs. What remains of welfare will now be directly administered by the States through block grants. Based on a 1992 study by the Better Homes Fund, a nonprofit organization based in Massachusetts, these recent policy changes place a significant number of poor families at risk of homelessness. The study involved 216 women in low-income housing and 220 homeless women, along with 627 of their dependent children. All of these women in Worcester, Mass., were raising their families single-handedly, and the majority were receiving cash assistance at the time of the study. Despite this aid, most of the families lived below the Federal poverty level. These women often faced insurmountable barriers to becoming self- supporting, including limited education, the demands of child care, histories of violent victimization, and poor physical and mental health. With the passage of the new Federal law, the responsibility is now on the States to protect such vulnerable families. An effective response should include the creation of more educational and job opportunities; guaranteeing that basic needs for housing, food, medical care, and safety are met; and ensuring that disabled individuals and children are well-served. The future of the Nation depends on how children are ushered through critical developmental years. Without adequate support of mothers in their challenging roles, all of society will suffer. 4 figures and 3 suggested readings