It's been four years since President Clinton signed welfare reform into law, and programs today provide temporary cash assistance to needy families. That has women scrambling to get the skills they need to succeed and rise above the poverty line before their financial assistance runs out. Many people argue that cash assistance alone fails to give people, especially single mothers, the incentive to get a job because many of the jobs for which they qualify pay very low wages, and keep beneficiaries mired in poverty. The 1999 Every Kid Counts Fact Book by the NEKC reports that poverty levels are highest among families headed by single mothers, and most people who work minimum wage jobs still fall far below Federal poverty standards.
Women learn how to construct hands-on electronics projects and solve industrial problems.
They also learn to improve their interpersonal communication skills, job search protocol, resume design, interview techniques, and workplace behavior. Parenting classes, as well as basic academic classes are also offered. The program, subsidized using Federal Highway Administration funds allocated through the DC Department of Public Works, is free of charge. Many states have started their own welfare to work programs, including Virginia, which now boasts one of the most far-reaching programs in the nation. Since its inception five years ago, the program has showed some significant results.