Kansas Report: Beyond Declining Welfare Rolls
by Robert Harder
A homeless mother with three children recently underwent surgery. She is likely eligible for food stamps and medical assistance, but she is afraid to approach a local welfare office.
A mother of seven children, ages 13 months to 15 years, has been deserted by her husband. She needs to upgrade her computer skills to get a job.
These are just two family situations out of hundreds in Kansas being affected by changes in the welfare law.
The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act gives states wide latitude in implementing welfare assistance. The emphasis in Kansas has been "work first." That means moving away from an emphasis on education and training.
In Kansas in 1995 before welfare-law changes, 8,528 adults were in job-skills programs directly related to employment. In 2000, that number dropped to 494. In 1995, 5,036 adults were enrolled in secondary education. That number dropped to 2,339 in 2000. In 1995, 8,630 adults seeking assistance were employed. In 2000, that number increased to 14,525 adults. It is clear the work-first mandate is working, but key questions remain:
In Kansas, approximately 20,800 children and 12,700 adults have been dropped from cash assistance. Those people drawing cash assistance are receiving about $35 per case per month less than in 1995. The drop in the number of people receiving assistance has been coupled with similar decreases in the numbers of people receiving food stamps and government-funded medical assistance.
Kansas numbers reveal that the state welfare agency has not aggressively informed poor families of their potential continuing eligibility for food stamps and Medicaid.
Approximately 23,000 fewer adults and 29,000 fewer children received food stamps in 2000 as in 1995. The value of food stamps per household was reduced by approximately $17 during the same period. Reviewing caseloads for children on medical assistance during the early stages of welfare changes reveals a similar reduction.
Economic realities
With more mothers going to work, an increase in the purchase of day care would be expected. There was an increase but it was less than 10 percent of the number of children dropped from assistance.
Another factor impacting poor mothers and children in the wake of welfare changes is that front-line social workers now have more discretion in keeping applicants off public assistance.
In Kansas, that state privatized foster care at the same
time it implemented welfare changes. Increases in the cost of the new, privatized foster-care system were paid out of federal welfare money intended for education and training of mothers on cash assistance.
Looking ahead
Kansas’ experience suggests the following:
Paragraph 163F of the United Methodist Social Principles says:
"Increasing technology, when accompanied by exploitative economic practices, impoverishes many persons and makes poverty self_perpetuating. Therefore, we do not hold poor people morally responsible for their economic state. To begin to alleviate poverty, we support such policies as: adequate income maintenance, quality education, decent housing, job training, meaningful employment opportunities, adequate medical and hospital care, and humanization and radical revisions of welfare programs."
Every United Methodist is challenged to stand by poor children and their families, giving them a voice where they do not have one.
The Rev. Robert Harder is the advocate for The United Methodist Church to the State of Kansas on issues related to children, families and poverty. A retired United Methodist pastor, he is former secretary of social and rehabilitation services for the State of Kansas, a position he held for 18 years.