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GUEST: Avis Jones DeWeever, Director of Poverty, Education and Social Justice Programs at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research

This month marks the 10th anniversary of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, also known as welfare reform. The bill was signed into law by then President Bill Clinton with support from the Republican Party. Many commentators in the media are celebrating the anniversary by citing statistics that show a decline in child poverty rates and teen pregnancies, and an increase in child-support collections. However, one columnist for the Chicago Tribune admits, “a disturbing number of former welfare recipients have merely moved to the ranks of the ‘working poor,’ still struggling to make ends meet with a subpoverty income.” Starting on October 1, the federal government will demand that states meet new standards for getting people off welfare. In order to keep receiving federal money, states will need to make sure at least half of their welfare recipients find jobs or at least search for work rigorously.

DeWeever has authored a report on education and welfare, entitled “Resilient & Reaching for More: Challenges and Benefits of Higher Education for Welfare Participants and Their Children.”

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