Welfare Reform: The Impact On Single Mothers

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Despite the positive outcomes of Welfare reform there are some negative outcomes that have affected single mom’s well-being. These areas are overlooked and in some cases are the contributing factors as to why caseloads of welfare recipients’ increase and clients still remain in poverty and welfare dependent. The areas that have an impact on single mothers are: their mental health status, their substance abuse usage, their parenting, and experiences with domestic violence. Since TANF is the total opposite of the AFDC program these changes to Welfare has made a significant impact.
In the TANF program the requirements can become stressful to maintain and keep up with all of the programs requirements and appointments given to a client. On a consistent …show more content…

The mother is faced with the hard decision of either missing her appointment, which provides her with financial assistance, food, health care or take her child to the emergency appointment. These are the harsh decisions that single mothers have to make and feel the pressures of making decisions that may or may not affect them negatively. In addition to missing appointments or being non-complaint with a welfare activity you are constantly reminded of your time limit. As a single mother you are reminded that you must find employment before your welfare time limit expires. Some mothers are strong enough and have the motivation to succeed. They want to find employment and eventually they find a job and transition off of welfare and just need supplemental programs such as Foods stamps and Medicaid. However, there are some mothers who can’t cope with meeting deadlines, appointments and sanctions. In some cases the pressure affects their mental health. Jayaody, R. & Stauffer D. (2000) notes that “the stressful life events, limited social and economic resources and other demographic disadvantages that accompany single parenthood, poverty…explanations as to why welfare recipients have a higher rates of psychiatric distress”(p.620). Based on

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