The rate could take effect next spring. Several states may hire private firms to streamline operation of their welfare systems. Those changes and others were prompted by last week's formal end of the much criticized national welfare system. Under a law agreed on last year by President Clinton and Congress, federal block grants and 50 different state programs replaced six decades of federally guaranteed aid to families with children. The goal is to move at least half of welfare recipients into jobs within five years and to limit the time families can get benefits.
Reformers hail the changes as major steps toward self-sufficiency for the poor.
Critics worry that the time limits and harsh sanctions for rule breakers could force more people into poverty. They cite a new report showing that three quarters of teenage mothers still were receiving public assistance after they were provided extensive social services. Inc. All rights reserved.