As welfare caseloads decline, there's a powerful temptation to use these funds for other purposes. A friend reminds me of an old story about the governor who wanted to use Medicaid money to build a freeway ramp. It improved access to health care, he claimed. For journalists, tracing what happens to block-grant money provides opportunities to examine in some depth the new federalism, congressional intent, state ingenuity and the unmet needs of poor families that are being kept from jobs because the federal funds aren't being used to subsidize day care, transit and the like. Spend time in the bureaucracy.
Any program can look good on paper.
We have learned from research on non-governmental programs such as New Hope in Milwaukee and Project Match in Chicago that the advice and support of counselors is often the most important benefit received by people making the leap from welfare to work. If caseloads are high or counselors poorly trained and supervised, ask why and whether available funds are being withheld from training or hiring of additional workers. At the same time, recognize and report on successes within the public bureaucracy, church programs and nonprofits. Not to do so is to contribute to the easy cynicism of the bash-government crowd. Pay attention to the hardest cases.