Welfare Reform Pros And Cons

The Welfare system in America has never been a perfect one. However, reform programs throughout the years have attempted to to fix gaps that leave certain individuals without aid. It's a well known fact that certain people are at a disadvantage automatically because of race, gender, or marital status. Certain legislation has already been made in hopes of leveling the playing field for these groups, but our work isn’t done. Laws like the Fair Housing Act need to be expanded in order to help P.O.C. escape poverty and become independent of government assistance. Additionally, legislation, specifically in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, that is bias towards married couples needs to be removed, so that single - income homes are not put at a further disadvantage.
Single
The cost of child care, and college tuition alone is significant for a double income home, let alone a single. Despite this, welfare reform has historically put single mothers at a further disadvantage. The government spends 500 billion to fix child poverty, which could easily be decreased by the expanding the limits of the welform reform benefits specifically for single income families. Full time child care can cost upwards of 20,000 dollars in some states. Also almost every other well developed country gives paid leave to new parents. The reform of TANF ( Temporary Assistance for Needy Families ) in 1996 added limitations to welfare availability. This included a 5 year limit and a 30 hour minimum work week. This might sound like a good thing, but for single mothers and fathers balancing fifty things at once, it made receiving aid almost impossible. Coverage for single income homes plummeted to an all time low. Roughly one in four single