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About Street roots. (Portland, OR) 1998-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 3, 2012)
Street roots T Feb. 3, 2012 Families in need stretch Oregon’s safety net Last year’s budget cuts, unemployment, hamper efforts to get off public assistance BY JOANNE ZUHL STAFF WRITER id to Oregon families in need is at its highest level since welfare reform took effect in 1997, according to the state Department of Human Services, it’s burning a $44 million hole in the state’s self-sufficiency programs. That will be the challenge for lawmakers as they convene in Salem to “rebalance” the two-year budget enacted last year, which means more cuts loom for the state’s overstretched program for poor families. As of October 2011, there were 33,759 Oregon families - more than 90,000 people, including 60,000 children — enrolled in the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, or TANF. Last year, the state’s overall TANF caseload increased 16 percent, 35 percent among two-parent families. “The program cannot withstand any more cuts,” says Xochitl Esparza, TANF program manager with DHS. “Further reductions are going to be detrimental to the program. What we have seen over time is it has impacted families, impacted outcomes, and any further reductions will likely have a negative affect on both.” Those cuts, combined with the poor economy, lagging job opportunities and the absence of Recovery Act funding that buoyed the program in 2009, are A c o n trib u tin g to th e h ig h n u m b e rs by k e ep in g people from moving off the program. TANF provides cash assistance to low- income families with children while they strive to become self-sufficient. The program’s goal is to reduce the number of families living in poverty, through employment and community resources. To qualify for TANF, families must have very few assets and little or no income. The current maximum monthly benefit for a family of three is $506. Last year, in crafting the 2011-12 DHS budget, legislators cut the employment and training component of TANF by 51 percent. The JOBS program, which stands for Job Opportunity and Basic Skills, not only offered training and placement services, but helped cover transportation costs and child care costs through the Employment Related Day Care, or ERDC. DHS has also frozen staff levels, even as enrollment increases, placing greater challenges on case worker capacity. (The state already has three federal TANF-related penalties, $27.7 million worth, for not achieving work participation program was launched. TANF replaced Ruirements,” targets in three consecutive years.) the Aid to Families with Dependent iotek says. But lawmakers will have to adjust the Children, or AFDC, bringing with it a Looking forward, Kotek, who has been a budget to cover the $44 million need from greater emphasis placed on securing and outspoken defender of social services, says the General Fund, which is only a portion of maintaining employment. she hopes the state and rise above the and the total $300 million the state budget Like Oregon, states across the nation status quo. needs to balance. have made cuts to their TANF programs, “I think we keep fighting to restore People who work with TANF recipients some far more drastic to the point of having money to that program. The reality is that say last year’s elimination of most child care a two-year limit on receiving assistance. unless people have a pathway off the and transportation support is keeping Oregon currently has a five-year maximum caseload — if we don’t help them become people from limit. One option to more job ready — we’re going to continue to getting off the cut costs would be to have a budget challenge to that program,” program and deny TANF to families Kotek says. “It really does matter to those going back to that have reached families to help them get back to work.” "We've gel a d a i w ith a four- work. their five-year limit in The increase in the caseload to TANF “The goal of y e a r-o li ch ild who was out another state. Even shouldn’t come as a shock, says Alison TANF JOBS larger cuts could be McIntosh, policy and communications lo o lm g lo r work. They Ieoh program is to made by removing director with Neighborhood Partnership. away his ch ild care resources^ help people exit more families from This is how the system is supposed to work, his transportation assistance, TANF as quickly child care assistance.» with people getting help during the greatest as they can by Regan Grey, policy so the Impact on him Is he economic crisis. One of Neighborhood providing the hastrt bee» able to fin d work? director with Children Partnerships primary projects is the Bridges resources they First For Oregon says to Housing program, which serves TANF W A R C J O L lh l need to become the way the budget families. E X E C U T IV E D IR E C T O R , J O IN self sufficient. If was crafted undercuts “Here in Oregon, we’ve put basic safety- you eliminate that the intentions of the net programs in place like TANF to help piece of the programs. protect families with children during a service package, “They removed all recession, and to help them get back on then families are going to be stuck on TANF of the supports for a parent who would be in their feet as the economy improves,” until they hit their five-year mark, and McIntosh says. “Right now, families are the JOBS program,” Grey says. “So we’ve struggling to survive even with TANF they’re going to be cut off,” says Rachel supplied then with classes, but they don’t support, facing choices like paying rent or have transportation costs or child care costs Post, director of Supportive Housing and buying food and medicine. TANF caseloads covered so they can’t utilize the JOBS Employment at Central City Concern, have grow n d u rin g th is re c e ssio n , as th e program.” Portland’s largest low-income service Grey says using the ERDC budget to back program meets its basic purpose. We need provider “They risk going back to being to maintain these basic safety net programs fill the TANF hole is counterproductive homeless, back into addictions, children like TANF - they aren’t a luxury, but a life- because it will only increase the number of back into foster care, back into the criminal raft for kids and families.” families - who might otherwise be in the justice system.” John says the program cannot absorb any workforce with the assistance — turning to “We have families with young children, more cuts without seeing more people TANF for support. single-parent households, and that parent struggling to keep a roof over their heads. “It’s not good for children, and it’s not needs to get out, and their ability to get out Post says an even larger concern is the good for the state’s budget either,” Grey and find work is limited by (cuts to child impact the cuts have on children. says. “It costs more to serve a family in care assistance),” says Marc John, executive “The families we’re seeing, which are TANF than in ERDC. It’s not a wise use of director of JOIN, which helps people secure families who are initiating treatment dollars, nor is it the best benefit for the and maintain housing. because they want to get clean and sober, child.” “We’ve got a dad with a four-year-old child they want to be reunited with their children. who was out looking for work. They took They want to be responsible parents. They away his child care resources, his want to take care of their families. They’re ep. Tina Kotek, D-North/Northeast transportation assistance, so the impact on doing everything that they can,” Post says. Portland, says she and the Democratic him is he hasn’t been able to find work,” caucus are going to try to preserve services “These are very strong, courageous, John says. “So we’re having to help by resilient families who are working really and prevent the cuts from going any deeper. continuing to subsidize his rent.” hard and getting through treatment and now However, budget limits are hard and fast, they have no means to secure income with no deficit allowed. because they have kids at home to take care “I don’t think we’re going to do a lot of cross the nation, TANF benefits for poor of. 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