Single moms say welfare programs need overhaul

The New Haven register | Lolita C. Baldor

[Neckbone]

WASHINGTON — Nykia Hampton doesn't have a drug problem, she's not a victim of domestic abuse and she's not being investigated by the state Department of Children and Families. She's a 24-year-old single mother in New Haven trying to get her nursing degree while still caring for her two young children. But she can't get much assistance because she has no criminal problems, and she doesn't want to be forced into marriage in order to get welfare relief.

"Education is the only thing that's going to keep me and my family out of poverty," said Hampton, one of six Connecticut women who gathered with other activists here this week to lobby for programs that will help welfare recipients get the training and education they need to get off assistance permanently.

Hampton and Lynnette Moore Booker, also from New Haven, are with Mothers for Justice, a local community group that seeks to empower and support women struggling to get off of welfare. Tuesday, they joined women from across the country pressing for legislation that will provide education, child care and training benefits that will allow families to make it on their own.

Slowly, in a low voice, Booker relayed her story to the crowd of Capitol Hill staff at Tuesday's policy briefing.

"During the last five years I have self-initiated a one-year internship, a six-month apprenticeship program, a six-month dead-end job and most recently, four-month welfare-to-work program," said the New Haven single mother. "I feel discriminated against as a black woman because I never received child care assistance, never was provided with job options, and never offered training that met my needs. I did my part, the system did not."

Booker and others complained that while white women were often offered job training or directed to schooling and higher paying jobs, black and Latino women were steered to dead-end, lower paying jobs that kept them reliant on assistance programs.

And they said that as Congress works this year to reauthorize the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, members should focus on women's childcare and education needs. Congress should not, they said, offer incentives for low-income women who get married, because it may force women to either enter into or to maintain abusive relationships just to get the extra cash.

Last year during a House Ways and Means Subcommittee hearing on marriage incentives, some who testified argued that giving married couples preferential treatment would be misguided and discriminate against people "who are not married, but are working hard and playing by the rules." Others suggested that such family friendly incentives "may indirectly promote marriage and reduce non-marital childbearing."

U.S. Rep. Nancy Johnson, R-Conn., a senior member of Ways and Means, said marriage incentives are "a lot easier to talk about than do." Instead, she wants to emphasize education programs that help young people understand the problems associated with single parenting.

In addition, Johnson said she wants to remove provisions that punish a couple for being married by making them less eligible for funding.

[Neckbone]

While I am the first to applaud a person's efforts to better themselves through education, when I got to the part where she was "discriminated against" because she "didn't receive child care assistance" I got a bit annoyed.

"I did my part, the system did not."

This represents the crux of the problem, the entitlement mentality that is the banner of The Left. Can someone enlighten me to when it became the responsibility of "the system" to provide child care to someone because they're pursuing an education? Someone? Anyone?

[sjmiller]

I also missed the part where The State (which obviously told her it'll give her everything) told her to have two kids she can't support. She's 24. I'm 28, married (almost a year). We haven't had children yet because we can't afford to yet. More in terms of giving the kids the time and attention they need then having enough money. But, if you do have two parents (heresy), then TWO people can share the raising duties....

[2banana]

"I feel discriminated against as a black woman because I never received child care assistance, never was provided with job options, and never offered training that met my needs. I did my part, the system did not."

I had children when young, I had children without a father or marriage, I have no education yet IT IS THE SYSTEMS FAULT.

[camle]

WAH!!!! I didn't get any gob'mint money! I WANT MY FAIR SHARE! WAAHH!!!!
I wanna get a free education to earn good money in a good job. I want the benifits and I want YOU to pay for them WAH!!!

jerk

[StriperSniper]

But she can't get much assistance because she has no criminal problems,

Do I read this right that if she had criminal problems she would get more money from the taxpayers? She can always go offer a cop a BJ for $20 and bam! criminal problem without even having to 'do it'.

[Neckbone]

I too am a heretic in that I waited until I could afford to raise a child to have a child. Furthermore, I pursued both undergraduate and graduate education.....drumroll please...without state-provided childcare! That's right, my wife and I worked really, really hard!

What a quaint concept.

[A Ruckus of Dogs]

I think the marriage requirement will slow down the number of out-of-wedlock births. Once these ladies realize gubmint isn't going to be their husband and provide them with a paycheck and life is going to be very difficult, they'll be a lot more careful about getting pregnant.

[Neckbone]

Of course you read that right! What better nirvana for 'rats than one where you can award people for being parasites AND criminals!

On our dime, of course.

[nravoter]

"Education is the only thing that's going to keep me and my family out of poverty," said Hampton...

Yeah, Ms. Hampton, and you and others like you keeping your pants on for more than five minutes at a time, and otherwise making wise decisions in life, is the only thing that's going to keep the rest of us from eventually paying 80% of our income in taxes.

[Neckbone]

Once these ladies realize gubmint isn't going to be their husband and provide them with a paycheck and life is going to be very difficult, they'll be a lot more careful about getting pregnant.

I agree that's the concept behind the marraige requirement, but I am agnostic that these "ladies" as you optimistically call them will make the connection. Instead they will continue on doing what it is that they do and will wonder where my money went when it dries up.

[Neckbone]

Wait, wait, wait. You mean that she should be held accountable for her life decisions? I thought that was our job?

[nravoter]

Wait, wait, wait. You mean that she should be held accountable for her life decisions? I thought that was our job?

My mistake: when I wrote that, I hadn't yet had my second cup of coffee, and was too numb and out of it to feel her pain. :)

[ravingnutter]

If she would bother to check the internet she would find money all over the place:

$46,000 in scholarships to become a nurse.

FREE MONEY for day care.

Free Government Grants

Grants for minorities going to school full-time or part-time

Grants to study law,medicine,dentistry,nursing or pharmacy

Money for child care while you go to school or work part time

Financial assistance for disadvantaged health professional students

Money for minorities pursuing a health professions education

Money for disadvantaged students to study nursing

Scholarships for National Health Service Corp

Health professionals student loans

Money to train to be a professional nurse

Nursing student loans

Source

The "system" is there, she just needs to take the first step and apply. One of my daughter's friends is getting her RN on a Government Grant.

[AD from SpringBay]

Dead End Job

That's an interesting phrase. To someone without a job, any job should be considered an open door. Do you think that the reason why there are so many illegal immigrants in the United States is because a lot of American's simply won't do certain kinds of jobs because it's easier to get on the government nipple and decry the "dead ends" of life?

If you grew up, for example, on a rice farm in rural China, the opportunity to work your a$$ off in the back of a restaurant might not seem like such a dead end. Or if you are used to grousing around on the huge piles of garbage in the suburbs of Mexico City, the opportunity to clean bathrooms or pick seasonal crops might not seem like a dead end.

[WindMinstrel]

Neckbone, weren't you just added to the famous "Wall of Tolerance"? I wouldn't expect a tolerant person like you to be unhappy with this young lady. Surely you don't mind spending most of your hard-earned money to support her popping out kids like she's a freakin' pez dispenser?

[Movemout]

"I feel discriminated against as a black woman because I never received child care assistance, never was provided with job options, and never offered training that met my needs. I did my part, the system did not."

Indicted by her own words. She was discriminated against because she is black. (A telling point of view)

Never received assistance (who amongst us are entitled to receive assistance)

Never offered training (I always thought that training was something you paid for)

Met my needs (is that something that we the people are responsible for doing)

I did my part ( which part was that? Having the kids out of wedlock or barely getting off the couch and forgoing bonbons?)

The system did not. (Ah so, the evil system did not offer a teat to suckle her "family" along the way).

This adult woman, and I use the term loosely, is the end product of of three decades of government intervention in the private lives of citizens. Need I say more?

[Neckbone]

Of course, all those avenues require effort. And they are presumably racially-biased.

[Neckbone]

Heh, 'tis true. I am the lucky recipient of what is likely the most eggregious case of mistargeted mass-mailing in history. Even got a certificate suitable for framing, I did!

[Dakmar]

Haven't you heard about the "digital divide"? Minorities aren't allowed on the internet, silly.

[Drango]

How is it that her failure to keep her legs closed should be the states problem?