Punish Welfare Moms, If You Must, But Don’t Hurt Children

What about the children? Does anyone really care?

These are the questions that I have been increasingly asking as I’ve read various analyses of welfare reform, including Idaho’s plan.

Welfare reform eliminates entitlements to assistance for single parents raising children in poverty (Aid to Families with Dependent Children). There will be other changes as well - for example, the limit on allowable education or training programs will be cut back to 12 months.

The underlying philosophy of Idaho’s welfare reform package is that all people should go to work right away, even though most will be forced into low-paying, dead-end jobs.

Many feel that welfare moms should be punished for the circumstances that led to their poverty, but what about their children? For what are they being punished?

Low-paying, dead-end jobs for parents mean long-term poverty for children. Research studies clearly show that the effects of long-term poverty are disastrous for children.

The impact of welfare reform on children will be great. Analyses completed by the National Coalition on Homelessness indicate that welfare reform will dramatically increase homelessness for families and children; currently, families represent about 40 percent of the homeless population. Homeless children in shelters experience sleep problems, shyness, withdrawal and aggression more than do emotionally disturbed children. Developmental delays, severe depression, abnormal social fears, significant health problems and learning disabilities are common among homeless children.

Research has also indicated that welfare payments keep many working poor families from becoming homeless. Yet, Idaho has opted for a two-year lifetime limit on welfare, rather than the five years stipulated in federal law. Also, like many other states, Idaho will not have the resources for increased education and job-training programs.

Children will suffer most, not the mothers we are apparently trying to punish.

Legislators tell us that reduced assistance to poor families will lead to stronger families. Presumably, by reducing assistance, single parenthood will be discouraged.

Will this really lead to stronger and healthier families for children? Many single parents have escaped past marriages full of violence (to themselves and/or their children). Not surprisingly, children who experience and/ or witness violence often show multiple signs of psychological disturbance.

Further, it is well recognized that poverty stresses families, disrupting healthy parent-child relationships. Quite simply, poverty erodes family strength. If we really want to make stronger and healthier families for our children, we must find ways to reduce the number of Idaho families living in poverty, increasingly without homes.

If legislators continue to push forward with welfare plans aimed at punishing mothers for being single or poor, they should take special precautions to avoid inflicting most of the punishment on children.

Families are tight-knit systems. The overall health of the family depends on the mental and physical health of the mother. The mother’s income (regardless of source) is the primary predictor of her children’s mental and physical health. It may be impossible to punish welfare moms without hurting children more.

Why punish welfare moms, anyhow? Many, including our legislators, seem to think that single mothers with children are somehow responsible for our current social problems or budget deficits. Yet, reducing benefits to single mothers is unlikely to reduce international conflicts or drug wars. The total amount spent of AFDC, child nutrition programs, and food stamps for families with children is about 3 percent of the federal budget.

But, regardless of how we feel about single mothers, let’s try to think more about what we are doing to their children.

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