If You Want to Help Kids, Don’t Impose Work Tests on Programs that Meet their Basic Needs

Last summer, shortly after the White House directed administrative agencies to limit eligibility to programs that meet families’ most basic needs by expanding work requirements, I sat in a windowless conference room with a dozen other people watching PowerPoint presentations about how to document your search for a job, when to submit that documentation to your Employment Services Specialist, and where to attend workshops on interviewing techniques and other subjects to comply with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) requirements. As I struggled to take notes on all of the meetings and appointments that must be completed before receiving assistance, I stole occasional glances at the adorable newborn two tables down, nestled on her mother’s chest, seemingly oblivious to the hum of the recorded audio and the flashing slides.

Read the full post on EndChildPoverty.org.


Elisa Minoff is a Senior Policy Analyst at CSSP.