First and foremost we would like to thank the
21 families who took the time from their very busy lives and shared their
stories for this book. It is truly an act of courage to lay bare one's
personal and family experiences for the world to see. These families showed
both great courage and great faith - their willingness to tell their stories
is based in the hope that they will provide greater insight into welfare
reform and help improve policies for many more families. We are deeply
indebted to Sadie, Brooke, Lisa, Melissa, Kathy, Sherry, Russ and Loretta,
Janet, Debra, Ruth, Sally, Carrie, Janet, Denise, Rebecca, Sally, Jennie,
Donna, Lisa, Dawn, and Shannon. Thank you all, and thanks to your children,
for sharing the precious time they have to spend with you.
We also thank the advocates, agencies and
friends who helped us find families willing to share their lives. We
acknowledge and thank our many partners in the Alliance for Family Success,
a broad coalition of nearly thirty Maine organizations working together to
help policy-makers better understand the need to help families move out of
poverty as the nation's welfare program undergoes reauthorization. We extend
special appreciation to the Maine Center for Economic Policy for its
excellent research and report Welfare Reform: Lessons from Maine, which
contained highly valuable information on which we drew for this book.
On a personal note, the authors thank Judy
Guay and Sandy Tardiff of the Maine Association of Interdependent
Neighborhoods, and Chris Rusnov, Michele Locker, Patricia Hargraves and Mary
Henderson of Maine Equal Justice Partners, for their help and support in the
preparation of this book.
Maine Equal Justice Partners is grateful to
the following funders for their support of our educational campaign on TANF
reauthorization: the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (through a grant
from the Ford Foundation), the Center for Law and Social Policy (through a
project of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation), the Catholic Campaign for
Human Development - Diocese of Portland, the National Campaign for Jobs and
Income Support, the Stern Family Fund and the Unitarian Universalist Fund
for a Just Society.
Maine Equal Justice Partners is a nonprofit,
tax-exempt organization that represents the interests of low- income people
in public policy forums on issues such as access to health care, welfare
reform, food assistance, education and training and childcare. We conduct
research, policy analysis, advocacy, impact litigation and education and
outreach to help low income people effectively participate in the democratic
process on issues that affect their lives.
Photos: Rebekah Smith, Christine Hastedt
Design: DESIGNSmith
Copyright May 2002
Welfare, Work and Raising Children:
Conversations with Twenty-One Maine Families
Maine Equal Justice Partners
126 Sewall Street Augusta, Maine 04330
(207) 626-7058
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