Welfare to Work (News Collection)

Summit Report
Introduction
Statistical Snapshot
What's Working
Conclusions of Large Group
Where Do We Go From Here?
Conclusion
Contact Information

CONCLUSION

During the planning stages and through the Welfare to Work Summit, scores of questions arose. Among them were questions that every policy maker, researcher, journalist and welfare to work stakeholder should be asking. Some of the most compelling are below:

What are the ultimate goals of welfare to work? Is it sufficient just to get people to go work? Should there be more holistic, long-term goals for the families affected?
Is the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) and are other national welfare to work projects helping or hurting children in the long run? What happens to kids left at home after they reach the age when they no longer fit into day care? Are accommod ations being made for kids 11 years old and up?
Just how much say should recipients have in the future direction of welfare to work systems; and how do their voices get heard?
How is the system addressing systematic racism and cultural differences, especially as experienced by immigrants? What happens to older immigrants who just can't learn the language?
Why are white people are moving off the welfare roles at a rate faster than people of color? What strategies will encourage more success among minorities?
How far from a one-size-fits-all system do we move toward a customized system that takes into account the individualized needs of the welfare clients?
When are community-based agencies more effective than government run agencies?
Is the national welfare to work initiative just a way to subsidize employers by forcing people to take low wage jobs? If people on welfare are forced to work, should employers be forced to pay living wages with a good range of benefits?
What do we do for people and families who have addiction, mental health and/or domestic violence problems?
What about the fathers; what is their role in welfare to work planning?
What is happening now and what will happen in the future to individuals, families and children when parents don't meet the work requirements and are sanctioned?
What are the special needs in rural areas?
Do the states, counties and municipalities have a public works plan in place to provide work if the economy takes a quick turn for the worse?

Not surprisingly, the questions are easier to formulate than the answers. We are pleased to have this opportunity to address the Senate Subcommittee on Family Health and Security. Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of further assistance.