Their needs are not the same and, therefore, what one expects from them should vary. The principles of good social work practice informs us that an assessment of a family or individual should incorporate their specific and unique characteristics within the context of their social environment. Unfortunately, based on the experiences of social workers in their work with clients in social service agencies, we do not have confidence in the city's ability to make such assessments. Other, perhaps more functional, homeless families are often held together by the mother's resilience and her ability to provide a stable environment for her children, under the most adverse conditions and despite tremendous stress. Requiring her to work and leave her children could be the final blow for a family already teetering on the edge of chaos.
Research shows that the risk of child abuse increases when parents are under extreme stress.
The threats of being thrown out on the streets and to have one's children taken away clearly constitutes, not only excessive stress, but has the potential of creating an explosive situation. The National Association of Social Workers believes that work is one of several important goals for helping families reach independence and self-sufficiency. However, it is not the only, nor necessarily, the primary goal. Given the circumstances of homelessness, of equal or even greater importance is the provision of basic needs such as affordable housing, health care, support for children's learning and their well being. We need to appreciate and recognize what will happen when homeless parents are forced into workfare programs.