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Wednesday, December 01, 1999
A State Government Reporter's Guide To The Web: Welfare Reform Resources
By Clare Nolan, Senior Writer
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The 1996 welfare law is the most dramatic attempt at social engineering in decades and may emerge as the single most important piece of federal legislation in the 1990s. Its provisions address everything from welfare time limits, work requirements and food stamps to child support, teen pregnancy and marriage. Because of the law's complexity, and because it devolves primary responsibility for many programs to the states, welfare has become both more important and more difficult to cover in the nation as a whole.
As envisioned by the law, each state's program is different, and each state has developed and implemented its program at a different pace. At the same time, the new legislation has given the states an unprecedented opportunity to prove an argument they have long been making, that they can handle these programs more successfully than the federal government. It is our job to find out if they are right.
There are many resources on the Web that can help you add depth to your stories. The following resources will help you compare your state to others, find innovative programs and generate new story ideas.
Administration for Children and Families--Welfare Reform
http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/ news/welfare
To see comparisons of caseloads and the declines state by state, visit stateline.org or the Welfare Reform page of the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/news/welfare. stateline.org puts the caseload figures on its Web site within days of their release each quarter by HHS. stateline also regularly updates unemployment, poverty and income statistics for all 50 states.
The HHS site also will lead you to the state-by-state financials for the TANF program--how much money each state receives from the federal government, how much of its own money it must spend and how much it has spent. Surprised by the rapid decline in caseloads, many states have accumulated vast surpluses in federal welfare dollars. Find out if your state has money that it is not spending.
National Conference of State Legislatures--Welfare Reform
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/cyf/hswelfare.htm
The National Conference of State Legislatures and the National Governors' Association, both strong promoters of devolution, are dedicated to protecting the states' new rights under the welfare law. They have vehemently fought off plans in Congress to take back some of their federal welfare funds. At the same time, they are exhorting the states to take advantage of this unprecedented opportunity to try new programs. Find out what the states have to fear from Washington and what new programs some states are developing at this Web site.
Many states, but not all, are following up with welfare recipients who have left the rolls. NCSL periodically publishes the results of those surveys on its site. |
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Welfare Information Network
http://www.welfareinfo.org
When tackling a particular issue related to welfare reform, such as child support, teen pregnancy, electronic benefits and so forth, the best place to begin is the Welfare Information Network. Every journalist who covers poverty issues and welfare reform should bookmark this Web site. Under each category, the Welfare Information Network offers a brief synopsis and key contacts on nearly every issue related to poverty. WIN also highlights innovative programs in the states. You can develop story ideas at this site while you look for information on a topic you are already investigating.
National Governors' Association--TANF Matrix
http://www.nga.org/welfare/tanf.htm
In 1999, state legislatures refrained from making major changes to their welfare programs, but some did consider smaller refinements. To compare your state's policies to other states, consult the matrix developed by the National Governors' Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures. It requires Acrobat Reader.
State Policy Documentation Project
http://www.spdp.org
Two advocacy organizations, the Center on Law and Social Policy and the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, have recently begun this new Web site, the State Policy Documentation Project, to follow welfare rules in all 50 states.
The Urban Institute
http://newfederalism.urban.org
The Urban Institute is running perhaps the most exhaustive examination of welfare reform. It is following reform closely in 13 states and in the nation as a whole. It is conducting the largest survey of low-income families ever completed to document the results of reform over several years. The latest reports generated by the survey and by the Institute's Assessing the New Federalism project are available at this site. |
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LISTSERVS
The Government Accounting Office (GAO), the Census Bureau and the Department of Health and Human Services all offer ListServs. You can sign up at their Web sites to have their press releases delivered by e-mail. The Casey Journalism Center at the University of Maryland also runs a list serve for journalists covering issues affecting children and families. Their address is KIDBEAT@UMDD.UMD.EDU. |
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For more information, click on Welfare Reform
A State Government Reporter's Guide To The WebIntroductionGeneral ResourcesEducation ResourcesUtility Deregulation ResourcesHealthcare ResourcesTax and Budget ResourcesGovernors'/Legislative/State Sites Staff Writer Bios
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 | Stateline.org has put together a list of state public policy resources organized by issue. Here, you will find useful links to essential information from government, academia, and think tanks. If you have a link to add, please email us.
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