The Detriments of the Welfare System

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During the 1960’s when I was growing up, children always came after marriage. If a woman had a baby out-of-wedlock, her family would frequently be disgraced. More often then not she would marry the baby’s father, but somewhere between then and now, things changed. Today, having a baby out-of-wedlock has become very acceptable. As a matter of fact, being unemployed, unmarried, or poor is no longer a concern. That is to say, expectant mothers can depend on government support if they are income eligible. The first problem associated with these programs is that for a large number of these women and their families’ welfare has turned into a long-term dependency. The second dilemma is that their welfare lifestyle has created many of our nation’s social problems. And the third problem is that the cost of these services has put a huge financial drain on our economy. For this reason, various government programs and policies were created to encourage these women to stop having children they could not afford. The most controversial policy, the “family cap”, was prompted by the failure of the welfare system to successfully assist the people it was supposedly trying to help. This policy is a law that limits the benefits a welfare family can receive when an additional child is born. The problems associated with this law include the ongoing debate over its political and moral implications. For example, politically, the “family cap” is believed to violate a woman’s individual rights. Morally, it is believed to be responsible for an increase in abortions. Either way, women need to assume responsibility for themselves and their families. In addition, men need to be held accountable for the children they are not willing to support. With that said, I...

... middle of paper ...

...opher Jencks. "Do Poor Women Have a Right to Bear

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Gastley, Kelly J. "Why Family Cap Laws Just Aren't Getting it Done." William and Mary

Law Review Oct. 2004: 373+. Academic OneFile. Web. 7 Feb. 2012.

Houppert, Karen. "For Her Own Good – With the 'Family Cap', The State Says to

Welfare Moms: No More Babies!" The Nation 4 Feb. 2002: 20. General OneFile.

Web. 7 Feb. 2012.

Loonstra PH.D, Ann. Personal interview. 17 Feb.q 2012.

Tanner, Michael, and Tad DeHaven. ""TANF and Federal Welfare. Downsizing the

Federal Government." Cato Institute, Sept. 2010. Web. 09 Feb. 2012.

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