Federal Welfare Reform Essay -- Poverty

Federal Welfare Reform A Critical PerspectiveAbstractThis project will examine welfare reform, which was signified by the signing of the PersonalResponsibility and Work Opportunity Act (PRWOA) in 1996. PRWOA replaced the original welfareact of 1935, titled Aid to underage Children (later changed to Aid to Families with mutualistChildren), with the program Temporary Assistance to needy Families (TANF). Under PRWOA, TANFwas instated as a system of block grants allocated to states to implement their own forms ofassistance and replaced programs like the cash-assistance program, Aid to Families with DependentChildren, and the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training. The most influential change of thislegislation among others has been the implementation of required work hours and strict time limitsto how long families may receive aid, implying that the great unwashed can simply will their way out of povertyprovided they work hard enough. While the significant fall of TANF cash assis tance caseloadswithin the programs first five years has been celebrated as proof of reforms success, the new eraof welfare can only be considered a success if America views the transformation of the welfarepoor to the working poor an achievement.Review of the LiteratureIn conducting my research, it was interesting to find dramatically diverging perspectives on thetopic of welfare reform, especially considering that each perspective gave the impression that theirargument was based on quantitative facts. The sources I consulted that were affiliated with thefederal government, such(prenominal) as statistics and fact sheets from the Administration for Children andFamilies (ACF) as well as the Whitehouse website, were the most optim... ...erg, Heidi. Recent TANF Proposals Would Hinder Successful State Efforts to Help FamiliesOvercome Barriers to Employment and decide Better- Paying Jobs. Center on Budget and PolicyPriorities. 9 May 2002.Melendez, Edwin et al. association College Parti cipation in Welfare Programs Do State PoliciesMatter? Community College Journal of Research and Practice. 27.3 (2003).Shipler, David K. The Working Poor Invisible in America. Vintage Books. New York, 2004.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families.Factsheets Temporary Assistance for destitute Families (TANF). October 2003..The White House. Office of the Press Secretary. Factsheet. President Calls for Action onWelfare Reform. 14 January 2003..