• Name one social welfare program (local, state, or federal) designed to address poverty, drawn either from the course resources or further research.
• Identify and explain the program. Describe:
o Who is eligible for the program
o What the program provides
o The goal(s) of the program
o Whether you think the program is adequate at meeting the needs of those in poverty
Respond to two colleagues:
• Explain whether or not you agree that the program they described is adequate.
• Explain a change you would recommend in terms of eligibility or services.
• Explain how this change would better support antipoverty measures.
• Identity any barriers to the changes you recommend.
Response 1
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, known as TANF, is a state-governed program designed to provide programs and resources to low-income families with children to help achieve economic self-sufficiency. The TANF program is monetized by grants given to the states to fund monthly cash assistance payments to low-income families with children.
The program’s goals are to provide aid to needy families so that children can be cared for in their own homes or the homes of relatives, end the dependence of impoverished parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work, and marriage, prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies, and encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.
Those eligible must apply for and accept other benefits (Unemployment Compensation, Workman’s Compensation, Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI), Child Support, etc.) for which s/he may be eligible. A recipient must be a citizen of the US or a lawful resident.
In a two-parent family where both parents are able-bodied, deprivation is established if one parent has a “recent connection to the workforce. All children aged 6 through 17 who have not graduated from high school or who have not received a certificate of high school equivalency must attend and have satisfactory attendance.
A receipt of cash assistance is limited to 48 months in a lifetime. All adult recipients have a work requirement and must participate in work activities and training for at least 30 hours weekly.
For those in poverty, it’s a program to only assist until self-stability. There are many requirements to receive TANF, yet this program is designed to promote removing individuals from poverty.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) | The Administration for Children and Families (hhs.gov)Links to an external site.
Response2
One social welfare program is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or, how many people know it, food stamps. It is a state level program. It is a program that “charges” a debit card with money to spend on groceries.
SNAP eligibility requirements include household size, income, and other financial resources (Lake, 2020).
