Poverty in Relation to Child Welfare - Essay Example

Poverty in Relation to Child Welfare: An Assessment of Effectiveness in Social Welfare Programs In view of the contention that “poverty is one of the major risk factors of child abuse and neglect”, the essay aims to provide a brief summary of the history of social welfare programs developed to address the issue of poverty. Likewise, the discourse would seek to identify, from among the proffered programs, the most effective one in alleviating poverty and improving children’s welfare. Poverty in Relation to Child Welfare: An Assessment of Effectiveness in Social Welfare Programs The history of social welfare programs in the United States can be traced in the 1900s when the first White House Conference in 1909 on the Care of Dependent Children provided clear resolutions to provide public assistance through financial aid for various individuals and families requiring the support in identified needs. The impetus of federal and state legislators to design social welfare programs stem from the factors contributing to poverty in the United States. Poverty has always been considered a social dilemma afflicting people from diverse backgrounds. It has always been an intriguing and challenging concern due to the multitude of factors that interplay and contribute to its existence. People could be misguided that poverty does not exist in a progressively developed country such as the United States. However, this social stigma pervades people from the lowest income levels despite the economic condition of the country they reside. In this regard, in view of the contention that “poverty is one of the major risk factors of child abuse and neglect”, the essay aims to provide a brief summary of the history of social welfare programs developed to address the issue of poverty. Likewise, the discourse would seek to identify, from among the proffered programs, the most effective one in alleviating poverty and improving children’s welfare. Definition of Terms Poverty is generally defined as “the state of living in a family with income below the federally defined poverty line” (About.com: Economics, 2010, par. 1). The U.S. Census Bureau (2010) defines poverty, to wit: “Following the Office of Management and Budgets (OMB) Statistical Policy Directive 14, the Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who is in poverty.  If a family’s total income is less than the family’s threshold, then that family and every individual in it is considered in poverty.  The official poverty thresholds do not vary geographically, but they are updated for inflation using Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).  The official poverty definition uses money income before taxes and does not include capital gains or noncash benefits (such as public housing, Medicaid, and food stamps).” According to Downs, Moore & McFadden (2009), the poverty line threshold for a family which is comprised of a mother with two children is $17,170 (Downs, et.al, 2009, 40). The identified factors which were deemed contributory to poverty were traced to economic factors (stagnation in wages, changes in the US economy, erosion of the value of minimum wages) (Downs, et.al, 2009, 41). In addition, distinct characteristics of people have prominent effects on poverty: non-Whites, large families, single-mothers, changes in family composition (divorce), among others. Finally, other factors such as low-earning power, immigrants, low level of education, timing and circumstances of matrimony and childbearing, influence the incidence of poverty in families residing in the US (Downs, et.al, 2009, 41). Summary of History of Social Welfare Programs Social welfare programs encompass public assistance programs which were defined by Downs, et.al. (2009) as “tax-supported programs of financial aid for individuals and families based on established needs” (42). Likewise, the authors detailed four main provisions for assistance in the form of child assistance, food assistance, health insurance benefits and earned income tax credits (51). For ease in presentation and detailing the historical timeline of social welfare programs in the US, the following table provides the crucial information the programs’ evolution through time with details sourced from Downs, et.al (2009): INCLUSIVE DATES PROGRAMS FEATURES PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS 1900s Temporary Assistance for * provide income to families Needy Families (TANF) where children were deprived of financial aid due to death of parent/s, continued absence from home, mental/physical incapacity, and unemployment Mothers’ Pension Programs * screen worthy mothers based on moral values, ability to keep suitable homes, less frequently divorced, deserted or separated, with incapacitated husbands 1935 Social Security Service Act * replacement of the Mothers’ Pension Aid to Dependent Children Program (ADC) * provision of aid directly to children 1962 Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) * expanded to include unemployed parents; viewed as encouraging continued dependency and discouraging work 1988 Family Support Act (FSA) * goals was to help poor families leave welfare and to be self-sufficient through attendance in education, job training and work programs 1996 Personal Responsibility * application of the TANF features of And Work Opportunity (1) work requirements for adult recipients; Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) (2) temporary in nature; and (3) state- based governance and jurisdiction INCLUSIVE DATES PROGRAMS FEATURES INCOME SUPPORT PROGRAMS 1996 State Children’s Health Insurance * expand health insurance coverage to 1997 Program (SCHIP) and larger group of uninsured children Medicaid * provides eligibility to AFCD recipients 1930s 1974 Food Stamp Program * provides benefits card to low income families to alleviate hunger and to avail of nutritious diet. Women, Infants, & Children’s Program (WIC) * for low income families below 18.5% of the poverty line accorded health counseling, prenatal care and well-child visits. 1975 Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) * available to working poor families through provision of supplementary income to low- wage earners. 1990s Child Support Enforcement (CSE) * aimed to increase child support by non- custodial parents serving low-income families where the program aims to locate parents, establish paternity, and obtain child support through legal venues (court). Social Insurance Programs * provides support through financial benefits from previously contributing members; with provisions for old age, survivors, disability, health insurance; unemployment, workers compensation, and veterans benefits 1972 Supplemental Security Insurance (SSI) * for elderly, disabled children and adults below certain income levels Assessment of Effectiveness The effectiveness of any or a combination of the social welfare programs can be measured in terms of their ability to improve the poverty situation of identified recipients in the long run. Various authors were cited by Downs, et.al (2009) when they indicated that “poverty rate depends more on the overall state of the economy than on the specifics of welfare policy. (Thereby) efforts must be directed at improving the earning power of families through both increased education and training of individuals and their effective economic policies” (50). To provide a holistic measure in defining which program/s have been effective in alleviating poverty, in general, the programs must have achieved assisting identified low-income families and were able to provide enough measures to educate, train, develop skills, and increase access to support programs (health benefits, unemployment, etc.) to eventually lead these families to productive and self-sustainable lives, in the long run. The EITC was clearly identified as a successful program in terms of helping the families to be uplifted from poverty. As evidenced by the increasing number of states which supported the program, the EITC, through its goals, procedures, and features that require recipients to be working and through provisions of motivating factors (benefits increase and individual’s earnings increase), make it one of the most cost-efficient government social welfare programs. However, in itself, it is not sufficient to cover all the needs of the families, especially of the children, during the course of time transcending barriers of poverty. This program must be availed in conjunction with other income support programs, such as the food stamp program or the WIC program when families are just starting to earn from work opportunities required to avail of the EITC. Eventually, as the families’ earnings increase, contributions to the social insurance programs could further provide assistance in terms of availing health coverages and other financial benefits accorded by the support programs. A large portion of the poor are children, the old, the unskilled, husbandless women, and persons with severe mental and physical handicaps. As such, poverty cannot be eliminated by increasing the productivity of the poor. Rather, it can be significantly reduced only by changing the traditional norm that the right to consume beyond a low minimum guaranteed by public relief is tied to the value of the individual’s contribution to the economy. The virtual lack of monitoring and measures to address the needs of these disadvantaged sector including children of parents with “mental health problems, physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, addictions or caregiver responsibilities” (Downs, et.al., 2009, 51) need to be highlighted with due efforts focused on programs which would ultimately support their needs. Conclusion Common folks could be quick to aver that the ultimate factor contributing to poverty is lack of money or income. But like a disease, this is just a symptom. Bartle identified five major factors that directly contribute to poverty. These are: ignorance (having a lack of information or lack of knowledge), apathy (“when people do not care, or when they feel so powerless that they do not try to change things, to right a wrong, to fix a mistake, or to improve conditions”), disease (illness or sickness), dishonesty (disposition to lie, cheat, defraud or deceive); and dependency (state of being utterly reliant on someone) (Bartle, 2009, par. 8). Social welfare programs, per se, are not the sole solution to poverty in nations. Social ills are actually exacerbated by indifference. By making an active stance, by being proactive rather than reactive, by making one’s own personal accountability to counter the major factors to poverty, the first step to eliminate it starts now with each and everyone. References About com: Economics. (2010) Definition of Poverty. Retrieved 02 November 2010. Bartle, P. (2010). Factors of Poverty: The Big Five. Retrieved 02 November 2010. < http://www.scn.org/cmp/modules/emp-pov.htm> Downs, S.W., Moore, E. & McFadden, E.J. (2009). Child Welfare & Family Service: Policies and Practice. 8th ed. Pearson Education, Inc. U.S. Census Bureau. Poverty in the United States. 2010. Retrieved 02 November 2010. < http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty.html> Read More