New welfare legislation leaves social services agencies scrambling for resources

Congress reauthorized welfare reform in 2005, and last June, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced new federal rules for getting more welfare recipients placed in jobs. While this regulation seems ideal in theory, the practical implementation may be difficult for many states, including California.

As a result of the new legislation, California (through its county welfare agencies) is faced with the challenge of getting substantially more welfare recipients into the workforce as well as getting employed recipients to work even more than they do already. One of the major hurdles is that, in many cases, counties must deal with issues of transportation, child care, high unemployment and other barriers facing participants who are not currently meeting the new federal welfare-to-work goals, says Larry Lobre, professional services director at UC Davis Extension’s Center for Human Services.

If California counties do not meet the new federal goals, there will be severe financial penalties in coming years. According to a recent report from the state’s Legislative Analysts Office, an estimated $173 million in federal funding for welfare programs could be lost, compounding the problem for future years.

The Center for Human Services at UC Davis Extension is poised to assist staff at county welfare departments with case management training in an effort to help those in need find employment and job training. The Center also provides consultation to county agencies to help them devise welfare-to-work strategies and plans for implementation.

"Although there are daunting challenges, both internally and with our community partners, our goal is still to move families to self-sufficiency," explains Pat Cheadle, assistant director of Kern County Department of Human Services.

No matter how serious the challenges are when working with county agencies, The Center for Human Services takes the attitude of "Together, we will find a way to meet your needs and goals," adds Lobre.