February 22, 2006

By EMMA DUMAIN
Contributing Writer

Washington’s welfare system claims to be committed to ensuring that out-of-work parents can still meet their children’s needs. Now, legislators and advocacy groups alike are challenging the integrity of this commitment following the governor’s proposal to alter one of its most significant policies.

The state’s WorkFirst program, which helps low-income parents gain self-sufficiency, requires recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits to actively seek or attend work. The current penalty for individuals not fulfilling program requirements is a 40 percent reduction of TANF benefits; the remaining 60 percent is given to a “protective payee” who spends the money on rent and utilities and uses the rest to support the recipient’s children. When full participation resumes, the sanction is lifted.

Governor Christine Gregoire’s proposal would impose “full-family sanctions” on non-compliers. This would mean that, if an individual was still not participating after a six-month partial sanction, his or her entire TANF allowance would be removed.

“ The governor says we need to get tough and cut people off totally who aren’t following the rules,” says State Senator Darlene Fairley, who is sponsoring legislation to reverse Gregoire’s decision. “My contention is yes, you don’t want to reward bad behavior, [but] the babies don’t get to choose their moms and so they shouldn’t be punished.”

While “bad behavior” is sometimes a factor, the findings of a November 2005 survey by the Department of Social and Health Services indicate that other forces are at work. Of the responding TANF recipients who were sanctioned, 43.1 percent said they did not have access to transportation; 22.8 percent could not leave their children unattended; 22.4 percent cited medical reasons; and 22.8 percent did not have the proper clothing.

“ This survey shows that people are being sanctioned because of issues the state should be addressing,” says Tony Lee, the community service director at the Fremont Public Association. “The state should help them, or they shouldn’t sanction them.”

This concern that blame is being placed wrongly is echoed in dozens of cases compiled by the Welfare Rights Organizing Coalition, a Washington-based organization that assists and advises TANF recipients.

Martha, for instance, had her childcare eliminated for not complying with WorkFirst because she did not have an ID card, but since she had not received assistance to pay for her bus fare, she could not travel to obtain it. Therefore, she remains in sanction status.

Sandra, a single mother of two children, had scheduled an official meeting to explain how post-partum depression prevented her from attending work, but missed it because of her mother’s sudden death. After multiple failed attempts to reach any DSHS caseworker to reschedule, she was sanctioned. When she contacted WROC for help, she was facing eviction and her phone lines had been cut.

Crises like these show why Gregoire’s proposed sanction policy will be so harmful, says Lee.

“ Families cannot lose entire grants,” he says, above all for the sake of children. “These kids are going to end up homeless, in the child welfare system, or in foster care.” But even Gregoire’s supporters say they’re trying to help the children of struggling parents. Deb Marley, the assistant secretary at DSHS, explains that the purpose of such dramatic sanctions is to encourage recipients to comply with WorkFirst regulations. The six-month warning period, she hopes, will give families a taste of how challenging it will be to care for their children with no money coming in, thus inspiring them to become full participants.

“ Families can currently get a grant at 60 percent indefinitely,” Marley says. “It’s extremely difficult for families to live on a full grant, so to live on 60 percent of that is nearly impossible. If people think the current system is good for children, I disagree.” 

[Take action]

To raise your voice against the new policy, call your legislator at 1-800-562-6000 and tell them to support Senate Bill 6628 and House Bill 2970, which reinstate partial welfare payments for children.