Iowa agencies providing emergency food and shelter saw an increase in demand when sanctions were applied, says Ogle. Wisconsin's Legislative Audit Bureau just finished a study of that state's Learnfare, the first welfare program to cut a family's grant if children are truant. Utah emphasizes flexibility. You need to go to work. In Wisconsin, Gowans says, anti-welfare messages in the media seem to be influencing caseworkers to interpret policies more restrictively.
Advocates are concerned about the quality and availability of infant care.
Michigan is among the states that require parents on welfare to work at least 20 hours when their babies are three months old. That's not a problem, says Susan Shafer at the Family Independence Agency. A normal working mother is lucky to get 12 weeks. Karen King, of the Child Care Resource and Referral Agency of Central Iowa, shares their concern. Then they're here Friday with a job that starts Monday and they have to take anything they can find.