Democrats Propose Welfare-to-Work Plan

By Bill Lockyer

Welfare reform continues to dominate our attention in the Capitol. While a bipartisan conference committee looks for common ground, Governor Pete Wilson and Democrats in the Legislature have also outlined proposals. We hope our plan will provide the framework for the final product.

We view the welfare debate as an historic opportunity to help people achieve self-reliance. At the same time, because of the reality of unemployment, time limits and work requirements present a major challenge. One of government's missions is to provide for its most vulnerable populations in a humane and family-focused way. We also must help parents to move into the economic mainstream without displacing current workers. Accordingly, our plan has realistic time limits to encourage work, unite families, and protect children, the elderly and disabled.

The federal law sets the standard for state funding. It allows us to realize savings and invest them in strategies that will make a difference. Every dollar must remain on target. Here are the cornerstones of the Democrats' plan:

Time Limits. Parents and counties will sign a contract containing a time limit based on the parent's individual circumstances. All parents will receive three months of provisional aid during which they would receive orientation, a job search, and a thorough individual assessment. For those who have not found a job at the end of three months, parents needing only to upgrade skills will face a three-year time limit and will receive agreed-upon training and support services. Those parents who need additional social or medical services combined with acquiring skills will face a five-year time limit.

Work Requirements and Job Training. Welfare parents will begin work activities from day one. California has developed a cost effective approach to help parents find and keep jobs, but the Greater Avenues to Independence (GAIN) program has never been fully funded. Helping all these parents requires a billion-dollar commitment for the long-term investment of job skills training, job search, and job retention. Parents who follow the rules and demonstrate personal responsibility, as the federal law seeks to accomplish, but who cannot find jobs, should not be penalized. In addition, we have strategies to support current workers and the local economy.

Job Creation. Initially, up to 550,000 workers need new jobs on top of California's normal pattern of economic growth, matching geographic needs and skill levels. Reaching that goal will require unprecedented collaboration and creative strategic planning among all levels of government with private business, large and small alike. We also need to prepare for downturns in the economy so that the welfare parents and the working poor do not suffer due to economic conditions beyond their control.

Community Service Jobs. Because it's unlikely that the private sector will be able to absorb all of the new workers in the short run, we will provide work opportunities. This creates an opportunity for us to address long-neglected needs, such as more recreational programs for kids, park and playground maintenance, graffiti removal, and litter clean-up. To avoid displacing existing public service workers, these jobs will be limited to activities which have not been funded in current budgets.

Child Care and Working Families. All parents meeting the work requirements will have child care. In addition, our long-term plan is to provide child care for those working with incomes up to 200 percent of poverty. Democrats support safe, reliable, and age-appropriate child care for the children of all workers, with a sliding scale fee based on ability to pay.

Innovative Strategies for Keeping Families out of Welfare. We will provide options to allow families to avoid welfare altogether. We provide one-time assistance to help with family emergencies. We also move families with child support orders and earnings out of the system by combining wages and an assured child support payment. Finally, we provide strong child support enforcement tools to establish this as a regular source of income. To do this, we immediately expand the new-hire registry and Franchise Tax Board collection for cases where district attorneys have been unable to collect. In addition, we will provide for co-location of district attorney staff in welfare offices and authorize counties to require work activities for non-paying noncustodial parents.

Domestic Violence. Domestic violence is a fact of life for too many Californians. We propose to implement the federal Wellstone Amendment - an option whereby families suffering from battering or extreme cruelty can receive safe support from the state's Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. In some cases, this may mean interruption of work requirements, time limits, and other rules for parents who have a reason to fear for their lives and the safety of their children. We propose to ensure access to treatment and support services to stabilize their lives.

Make the System Make Sense. We take advantage of the freedom the federal law gives us. We simplify earnings rules to encourage work and allow for reliable transportation to enable work.

Flexibility with Accountability. Counties must be free to design programs that make sense locally. Our plan allows flexibility for counties to determine what their population needs and to design services that will meet those needs. It includes uniform eligibility standards, benefit levels, time limits, and a fair hearing process. It encourages collaboration among all the local partners and requires counties to measure outcomes - such as job retention and child well-being - so that we can see what works.

Reinventing Government. Welfare reform also means changing the culture of the government agencies that administer the program. Instead of an income supplement program, our program will provide training and support services for welfare parents.

No Cost Shifts to Counties. Our plan preserves the safety net without increasing the burdens on counties.

Make General Assistance a Statewide Uniform Program. Our plan integrates and simplifies welfare and work programs for all poor Californians with the state providing 30 percent of the cost. We will consolidate and streamline programs with uniform statewide eligibility, regional grants, and ensure equal access to job services for all needy individuals.

Legal is Legal. We insist that the federal government pay for the policies set by Congress and not force Californians who've complied with the law to bear the brunt of the cuts. We are evaluating the federal budget agreement to determine the level of protection restored for this group of people. At minimum, the federal government must provide naturalization assistance and continue aiding people who are applying to become citizens while the Immigration and Naturalization Service processes the paperwork.