Childcare Portion Of The Participants Program example essay topic

Welfare to Work Reform What your taxes pay for? By TONI WILSON Outline County Program -Purpose (involving Welfare recipients) -Welfare to Work Program-Activities-AP R&R's Advantages -Affordable childcare-Providers-Successful Parents (goal) Disadvantages -Middle Class View Point-Waiting List-Losing Childcare Conclusion -Middle Class vs. Welfare County Program In 1996 Bill Clinton passed an Act (Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) ) that moved welfare recipients off of aid and on to becoming working productive citizens. Under the Act, welfare recipients would have two years to find a job and get off of aid. Several programs were designed in order to help encourage and eventually get the recipients on their way to being successful citizens.

Our tax dollars fund these programs. The program, more commonly known as the Welfare-to-Work program was broken up into different stages in order to best help the recipients. Once the participant (welfare recipient) signs up for Welfare, he / she is assigned a gain worker who is there to help guide them through the program. The gain worker interviews the participant and tries to get a feel for what the participant wants to do in life. From there the gain worker assesses what program is best for the participant. There are several activities that the participant can join.

Job Club, which is designed to help you find a job. Self-Initiative Program, which is designed to help participants with school. Vocational Training, which is designed to train the participant in a certain field or interest. In some instances, participants are co-dependent on drugs or have mental problems. There are programs designed to help the participant get off of the drugs and get help. There is also counseling for those who need the mental help.

Most participants come from high crime, poverished communities that have started to affect and influence them in many ways. The welfare -to- work program is designed to help you become a stable parent. There are parenting classes offered and childcare for your children. Childcare is provided to participants who can not afford to pay a babysitter on their own.

The participant picks a person or school to watch their child (ren) and it is paid for through the Welfare-to-work program. Several agencies (AP R&R) were formed and funded by the county in order to help pay for the childcare portion. AP R&R's strictly handle the childcare portion of the participants program. They pay the providers a set portion of money every month to watch children.

The participant is allowed to pick who they want to watch their children, whether it is a relative or a school or a daycare. The providers are thoroughly screened and must submit as well as fill out documents pertaining to childcare. Once that process is over, the provider is paid every month at a certain rate. The provider is allowed to pick the amount they want to receive as long as it is below the market rate (rate of pay set by the county).

Since the participants don't have to worry about paying for childcare, they can concentrate on achieving the goals that they have set for themselves in the program. As the program goes on, they become more independent and eventually progress into jobs so they can support themselves. Advantages The AP R&R's are broken up into three different stages. Stage one is designed for participants who have just joined the program and need training or help finding a job. Stage two is designed for participants who have been in Stage one and are progressing in to work and / or schooling.

Participant should have an income coming in while they are in stage two. The participant, depending on their gross monthly intake pays a parent fee. Stage three is a follow up of stage two; the participant should have established a work history and can maintain a stable healthy lifestyle without aid. In turn, babies are well taken care of and grow up healthy and strong. Money is being circulated in the community and there are jobs for people. The participants learn skills that can carry them on to the next job and help them survive so that they don't have to depend on welfare to support them.

The AP R&R's have other services that are good for the participants. Resource and referral program, which is designed to help the participant find childcare in their community. Children's health and Wellness program, which is designed to help participants with immunizations, doctor's visits and vaccines. Food program, which is designed to help participants that are less fortunate, teaches participants how to plan healthy meals for their children. Disadvantages The welfare-to-work program has a lot of advantages for participants and is a big help to taxpayers in the long run. But one class that Bill Clinton forgot to include is the middle class.

Unfortunately, middle class citizens make too much money to qualify for this program, so those that apply or put on a waiting list. The waiting list is evaluated and the people who are less fortunate are taken ahead of others, no matter how long of a wait. Of course, this is unfair to middle class citizens who need help with childcare. If a mother of two small children is working and she has to pay $80.00 a week for each of her children, she is paying $320.00 for each child, which totals out to be $640.00 a month. Doesn't she deserve a break? Childcare payments take half of her income.

She needs to buy food, clothes and pay rent / utilities with the other half of her income. She is a productive citizen, but she is not progressing like she wants to because she has to pay for childcare. The state recognizes these people but puts the welfare recipients ahead of them because they are more of a drain on society. There was no act or law passed stating that people who work hard and take good care of their kids can get free childcare.

Majority of the time, working people will take all the help they can get. They would appreciate a portion being paid instead of the whole thing. Another disadvantage is loss of employment. If a participant has gone through the program and has found a job, but suddenly losses it, they start back at the beginning of the program.

They have to take the same training class over even if they already have skills for a job. This tends to frustrate and discourage the participant and they in turn quit the program. According to the act that was passed, quitting is not an option. If the participant does not comply with the program they will be sanctioned (cash aid and food stamps will be taken away).

And there are many disadvantages to being sanctioned, homeless being one of them. Conclusion Your taxes in the long run help a very important part of society. It helps the economy by providing jobs for providers and helps participants find jobs. Children grow up healthy and stable.

The participants feel good about themselves and develop a skill that will take them far in life. But the people who are paying taxes for this program are desperately in need of help themselves. Is it fair to help another class of people with their needs when your class is struggling themselves? If we don't start helping middle class people, eventually we will all become low class citizens who can't afford childcare for our children and we will be forced to go on welfare just to get our childcare paid for.