Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-03-06
.C.Urgedto LiberoIize
Its Welfare Policies

concerning the employabilityl
of mothers on relief so each
mother will have the right to
determine whether the welfare
Of her children will best be-
served by her remaining at
home or taking employment"
Regulations should facilitate
temporary, part-time or even
full-time employment of moth
ers. Earnings today are de-
Quoted from the grant.
Coverage involved in the cost
Of employment, including day
care for children, should pro-
vided.
3. A change in the man-in-
the-house rule.
This rule, put in effect in
1856, says that If a woman has
a continuing relationship with
q man he is presumed to be
acting as a husband and father
and the family is not eligible
for Aid to Families with De-
pendent Children, an assistance
category which in its basic form
provides aid to youngsters
whose fathers are dead, absent
or incapacitated.
THE presence or absence Of
the man, other than the legal
husband, should not be a con-
sideration in establishing ell
gibility for Aid to Dependent
Children" the report asserts
Rather, the important fac
tor should be whether or not
a family is able to meet its
needs as determined by the
public assistance budget"
Plan Advanced
When it is established that
the mother had a continuing
with a man,
grants should be given to her
children who are not the mans
children, unless he is willing
and able to support them. He
should be responsible for the
of his and the woman's
children. The legal requirement
that an absent father continues
to have financial responsibility
for his own children should be
enforced.
Also, the welfare department
should find out how much the
man In the house earns. If
he isn't able to fully support
his children, the department
should supplement the family's
income to bring it in line with
the standard of those on assist
ance.
The department should ask
continuously for verification of
the mans job status. "The
department has the right to
expect the man to make all
to secure employ
ment," the report asserts.
4. augmentation in the
District Of the 1862 welfare
amendments to the Federal
law affecting assistance.
Day Care Considered
Only administrative action
BY the welfare department
would be required to affect a
major charge, the report as
serts-extension of Aid to Fam
lilies with Dependent Children
to youngsters whose
parents are unemployed.
Also. the department could
earn more matching Federal
dollars for salaries by providing
various services to families, it
adds. In another area, the re-
port urges that plans for day
care for children of working
mothers be made now so II
the money the Federal Gov
eminent hopes to win from
Congress this year is forthcom-
ing the District can receive
some of it.
The city should seek con-
gressional action that would
permit it to set up a commun-
ity work and training program
for unemployed parents, and
children in AFDC families
over 10.
6. Investigators should be
used only at the request Of the
social worker, and should be
responsible to the social work.
er. If social workers had smaller
caseloads fraud could be re-
duced. the report contends.
Congress increased the well
fare departments Office OF |
Investigations and Collections
from 81 to l54 this year after
special studies Of samples Of
the relief rolls showed a high
rate Of ineligibility.
THE growth of the Office of |
Investigations and Collections
has made the departments
service a tri-partite program: |
Public assistance, child well |
fare service, and the investi-
cation Of people," the report |
asserts.