Welfare Reform Leaving More In Poverty

Did it really take us 15 years to realize that this 'welfare reform' was not good for the long term?  There are several laws/legislation that President Clinton passed that has had an adverse affect on the African American community.  In my opinion, the law did not go far enough and it left too many loopholes for States to wiggle out of support to those that need it most: the children. Hopefully, some reform can be done in this area as well,

Sasha Mandel says she never imagined going on welfare. But her plans for a career and the independence she craved ran headlong into a pair of unforeseen developments -- an unplanned pregnancy at 18, and the worst job market since the Great Depression.

In April 2009, freshly unemployed and devoid of savings, Mandel reluctantly walked into a state office in Phoenix to apply for welfare. Her caseworker was sympathetic, swiftly arranging emergency food aid along with cash assistance. But she was also clear on the limits of that relief: Under the terms of Arizona’s welfare program, Mandel could draw a welfare check for no more than three years.

That timeframe was about to get shorter. This April, cash-strapped Arizona tightened the limit on welfare payments to two years. Mandel learned about the change when she received a letter from the state in June. She was only a few weeks away from exhausting her benefits.

“That letter," she said, "it just said to me that they decided to change the rules when the game for single mothers is already really, really hard."

Read more at source

0 comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...