Welfare Reform Bill Criticized By Civil Rights Community
Feature Story by civilrights.org staff - 2/27/2003
States and several organizations are expressing frustration at the renewal of TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) saying that it would only serve to hurt poor women and their children. The House of Representatives passed H.R. 4, which renews the controversial welfare reform legislation of 1996, by a vote of 230 to 192.Governors are upset about mandates imposed by the legislation that are not backed up by additional funding from the federal government. Without this funding, additional demands force many states to take money from other important services.
Already most states are struggling with weakened economies and with the Bush administrations projected budget of 2004 which will decrease federal aid to states, governors question how they will be able to meet the needs of poor people in their districts. Under the President’s budget for FY 2004 “already fiscally strapped states will lose $5 billion causing to them cut back on services” says Chuck Loveless of the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees.
Another critique of H.R. 4 is that it is forcing poor people into dead end jobs. With cuts in training and education opportunities and increases in the amount of hours one must work a week, chances at lifelong stable employment with opportunities of promotion seem very unlikely. It has been proven that a mix of education, training and employment is essential to getting families out of poverty and preventing them from coming back. With less and less funding to make this combination a reality for many families several people and organizations are skeptical about its effectiveness to combat poverty.
The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) points to lack of funding for childcare as a serious shortcoming of the legislation. According to NWLC, the costs of childcare per child can range from $3,000-13,000 annually. For many families this is simply unaffordable. Without childcare, it is impossible for single parents to leave the house in order to work the hours required to receive TANF funds. Currently insufficient funding through the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) only allows for 1 in 7 children to get adequate assistance.
