These phrases have filled the newspapers and radio and televisions newscasts for many months now, and are bound to be hot topics during the current session of the Missouri General Assembly. The word welfare itself creates varying ideas in people's minds.
Some people view it entirely as a social issue, but it involves quite a lot more.
Helping communities and individuals become more self sufficient is at the core of our efforts at the department, as is helping the business community create and maintain a productive workforce. And considering that a robust economy has left many employers in Missouri with a worker shortage, we believe that there are two problems here that can have related solutions-if coordinated properly. When we speak of welfare reform, one misconception that exists is that all recipients of public assistance just need to go out and get a job. While that might work for some people, it will not be that simple for others. Our challenge is to elevate the job skills of individuals in need of work.