LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Welfare Reform: States
built 133 days ago
Welfare reform is a fundamental transformation of public policy. The magnitude of change is such that higher education systems will be impacted by this reform. Accordingly, higher education faces several challenges in accommodating needs is this area, particularly since state human service departments are leading the reform. This issue of Policy Insights provides background on the reform, discusses initial challenges faced by two- and four-year institutions, highlights some unique approaches to this initiative in the western states, and outlines policy implications for states and campuses. As the impact of the work requirements of the reform are profound, colleges and universities and higher education coordinating and governing boards have an important opportunity to exert greater leadership on the development of this federal initiative.
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Welfare reform dramatically altered the ways in which the departments of Human Resources, Labor (DOL) and Technical and Adult Education (DTAE) interact. These three agencies who are involved in putting TANF recipients to work have restructured state and local efforts so that each agency focuses its efforts on one goal: developing a job-ready workforce. DHR provides case management to those who need it, DTAE is the primary resource for training, and DOL takes the lead in job development and job placement.
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Welfare reform allows states considerable flexibility in designing programs and services for recipients in a way that best meets the needs of children. Additional information can be found in WIN’s June 1998 Resources for Policy Decisions, "Linking the Systems: The Relationship Between Welfare and Child Welfare Systems," at http://www.welfareinfo.org/linkingchildwelfare.htm. Further information on children’s issues can be found in "Financial Resources for Child Care," at http://www.welfareinfo.org/Issuechild.htm or WIN’s child care and child development pages at http://www.welfareinfo.org/child.htm and http://www.welfareinfo.org/childdevelop.htm.
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Unfortunately, most of the gains from welfare reform happened in the first five years. Having been pushed by the federal government to move people off the dole, states responded quickly. But by 2001, most had met Washington's initial requirements. Without ongoing federal standards, most state reform efforts lost steam. Too many state bureaucracies drifted back into the habit of mailing welfare checks without pressing recipients to find work.
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A final criticism that has emerged since the 1994 election is that federal leadership in welfare reform is a mistake. Most recent innovation has come from the states and, in principle, the states can design programs that make the most sense for their economy and population. Still, history is filled with examples of states choosing to ignore poor families or ignoring racial minorities, regions, or types of families. Moreover, if one state's rules differ markedly from those of another, there will be an incentive for migration. It is a lot easier to move poor people from welfare to the state border than from welfare to work. Needs and resources ... differ widely across states.
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The welfare reform law denies TANF benefits to parents who have been convicted of drug felonies. This provision has child welfare implications, as research has shown that many children in the child welfare system have or have had parents who are substance abusers. However, states are allowed to opt out of this requirement. For information on which states have done so, refer to the National Governors’ Association matrix at http://www.nga.org. States can require parents who are receiving TANF assistance to participate in drug counseling or treatment programs. States may ... require drug testing.
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