DAY BY DAY
Maine Families Talk about Their Lives During Welfare Reform

Five years after the massive overhaul of the nation's welfare system, thousands of Maine's low-income families - whether they still receive cash assistance or have moved into work - are working harder than ever, but still worrying about making ends meet every month. They are juggling work and family responsibilities with precious little income and with crisis looming if anything goes wrong - a car breaks down, a child gets sick, a job is lost or work hours cut back, child care disappears. The list could go on and on.

In 1996, AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) was replaced with a federal block grant to the states to run the new TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) program. The TANF program makes "work" a priority above all else. Using TANF funds, each state is required to meet a "participation rate" by placing a certain proportion of families receiving assistance in work activities that "count" toward this participation rate. Moreover, families face a five-year limit on receiving federal TANF assistance - under federal law, only 20% of a state's TANF caseload is allowed to receive assistance beyond this time limit, regardless of the number of families who may still need help.

We now have an opportunity to examine how well this new welfare system is working and to improve it where needed. By October 2002 Congress must reauthorize TANF. Next the state governors and legislatures will adjust their programs to implement the changes Congress has made. They too will propose changes that will have a large impact on the lives of low-income families. How many hours per week must these mostly single-parent families "participate" in work? What activities should "count" toward the work participation requirement? Should parents be given education and training opportunities in order to make the transition to work a permanent one? How do we help families who need basic skills or rehabilitative services in order to move into the workforce? How do we help families who are working but still poor? How much funding should the TANF program receive?

Maine has made a real effort to make welfare reform help families. Our approach has been thoughtful and constructive, not punitive, and our state has been held up as a model of compassionate welfare reform. Maine helps families with essential supports like childcare, car repairs, and occupational clothing needed through ASPIRE, the work program component of TANF. We expanded access to Medicaid and food stamps for low-income working families no longer on TANF, helped TANF families with childcare and transportation as they moved from welfare to work, and permitted families to obtain education and training to help them move into jobs that would raise them out of poverty.

Maine has also taken a humane approach to families who are unable to earn enough money to leave TANF. Maine has flexible programs designed to help parents who face multiple obstacles to getting or keeping a job. Maine chose not to implement arbitrary time limits or sanction policies that penalize children.

Yet thousands of Maine families, both those still on TANF and those major catastrophe and trying to spend time with and care for their children. There has been much rhetoric surrounding welfare reform, much talk about how single mothers have learned the "dignity of work" and how positive it is that welfare rolls have dramatically declined. But what is really happening to these families? Has work truly brought them dignity and economic security? And what is happening to families who face major barriers to a successful work experience-those with disabilities, with special needs children, who may be illiterate, or face substance abuse or mental health problems? Are their problems being addressed or exacerbated by welfare reform? Are they getting the supports they need to be able to go to work, stay employed and support their families?

Often it seems like survival is the main order of the day. Roberta, single mother receiving TANF

This book is an attempt to show the human face behind the statistics of "participation rates," "countable activities" and reduced welfare rolls. It is difficult to think of work as "dignified" when it does not pay enough to feed your family or keep the electricity on. It is even more difficult to value "work" when a parent might have to make the impossible choice of going to work or staying home with a sick child and losing a day's pay. Such a loss can translate into missing a meal or falling behind on the rent. Every day parents are making these kinds of heart-wrenching choices. They are trying to find time with their children and still work, sometimes piecing together multiple low wage jobs on night shifts or weekends. They are praying their car doesn't break down, which could break their budget and cause a crisis.

These kinds of day to day decisions are virtually unknown among the vast majority of middle class families, who, for the most part, have access to 9-5 work hours with sick leave, vacation and health care benefits, choices in child care, reliable transportation, and the flexibility needed to meet life's demands -- for example, the ability to meet with a child's teacher when needed without fear of losing income. Low-income families cannot take these kinds of supports for granted. And the toll on these families is enormous. As policy makers begin the next stage of welfare reform it is important for all of us to listen to the stories told throughout the pages of this book. They give us a glimpse of the day-to-day burdens these families carry, and help us learn what can make the difference in their lives. Finally, let us salute the bravery and tenacity of these families, all of whom are working hard to raise their children, sometimes in the face of daunting personal circumstances.

 

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