Please protect TANF

I am a veteran parent of the child welfare system, and I am concerned about the proposed cuts to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and Working Connections Child Care. As a parent who has been through the system, I assert that these programs are vital in providing the financial stability that a family needs to successfully exit, and remain out of, the child welfare system.

After my child was returned home, my family still had issues to work on. I was out of work, and we were facing foreclosure. TANF and Working Connections Child Care helped me bridge the gap between ruin and recovery by providing funds for child care, food and basic needs.

Although I went into bankruptcy to save our home, my family was able to transition off public assistance shortly afterwards because employment resources were also provided. I worked hard, found a job within seven months, and four years later I am still working.

Across our state, parents like me work with child welfare professionals to ensure the safety of children. We are pleading for no more cuts to TANF or Working Connections Child Care because these will deeply hurt vulnerable child welfare families.

Jeremiah Donier

Spokane