From: lisa@oneb2.almanac.bc.ca
Newsgroups: alt.child-support
Subject: Re: Indiana Welfare
Date: 26 Jan 93 15:45:37 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: Lebenty-Screech's Almanac, Nanaimo, B.C. CANADA

garrod@dynamo.ecn.purdue.edu (David Garrod) writes:

> 
>      Several persons had posted the the base for child support should
> be welfare benefits, so I thought it appropriate to investigate same
> for my state and post them in this forum.
> Source: Peggy Taylor, Indiana State Department of Welfare
>         Regional Office, 420 Hoffman St., Hammond, Indiana
>         (219) 937-0232
> 
> 1 mother, 1 child:           Monthly subsistence  $229
>                              Food stamps          $203
>                              Total         $432
> 
> 1 mother, 2 children         Monthly subsistence  $288
>                              Food stamps          $292
>                              Total         $580
> 
> 1 mother, 3 children         Monthly subsistence  $346
>                              Food stamps          $374
>                              Total         $720
>
Does anyone HONESTLY believe that $432/month is enough for one adult
and one child to live on???  The other figures seem ridiculously,
unrealistically LOW, too!

I realize that the cost of living in the States is somewhat lower than it
is here, the wages are often slightly lower as well.  However, I am an
American (born in San Jose, California), so I get down there to visit family
as often as possible.  In fact, I was in Grants Pass, and in Portland, Oregon
last August and spent some time comparing wages, rent, food costs, etc..
They're not that much different than ours in Canada, from what I could see.

In B.C., Social Assistance ("Welfare") standard rates (maximum) for one adult is
$525/month.  I don't know what the maximum rate is for one parent with two
children is now, but in 1990 it was $974/mo., (maximum allowance).  That two
year old figure is considerably more than Indiana's $580/mo. for a parent with
two children...$396 more!  I can assure you that even in 1990, $974/mo. didn't
go very far...

No wonder single parents who aren't getting child support and who are also "on
the system" are screaming for enforcement of child support orders!  Come on.
All of you who are espousing that your own children should only get $148/mo.
in total (and/or plus Blue Cross) for all of their on-going needs, while
professing your love and dedication as a parent, ought to look at this a
little closer. $148/month???  Give me a break!

I guess $148/mo. should be adequate for food costs.  But what about clothes,
school supplies, shelter, braces and (God forbid!) baseball gloves or birthday,
Easter and Christmas gifts?  What about enough for the CP to pay for Life
Insurance so that there's something left to raise the kids on should the
unthinkable happen?  I just can't believe that anyone living in the real
world could honestly believe that $432/mo. is adequate for a parent and child
to live on.  How many of you live on that for just yourself, month after month
and year after year? (Sure as hell won't pay your University tuition for long...
not everyone can get scholarships, you know).


> While one cannot from these data separate out the cost of the first
> child from the cost of the mother;
> the second child cost is $580 - $432  =  $148
> the third child cost is $720 - $580   =  $140   per month.
> 
> Medicaid (or is it medicare?) picks up medical and dental on top of 
> this.
> 
> Based on my experience with economic models for child costs it would
> appear to me that a reasonable estimate based on the above numbers
> for the first child is about $160/month.
> 
> David Garrod
> 
A "reasonable estimate"?  I'm appalled.

Lisa

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Lisa Lambeth                             lisa@oneb2.almanac.bc.ca

Founder, P.E.R.C.S. (Parents for Enforcing Regular Child Support)
Vancouver Island, B.C., Canada // Courtesy of the old coot hisse'f!
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Newsgroups: alt.child-support