Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-05
Budget Hearing
Told Plans Cost
Is $l.6 Million

prOprlaJl0nS subcommittee Dy
city welfare officials.
The figures cover proposed
extensions of the eity's aid-to-
dependent children program to
take in families where the par
ents are able to work but are
unemployed.
Proposed expansion Of this
program is one of the most
controversial items before the
subcommittee. headed by Sen
ator Robert c. Byrd, Democrat
Of West Virginia.
Present Rules
Under present regulations
here, a family is not eligible
for this aid If an employable
man heads the household. Also
ineligible is the family where
the head Of the household is a
mother who. although unem-
ployed. is able to work and
has an adequate day-care plan
for the children.
Donald Brewer, acting well
fare director, told Senator Byrd
today that the estimated an
nual costs for expanding the
is $1,546, 908. Of this.
the city's share would be S844,-
Ala and the Federal contribu-
ton would be S702,4
In a breakdown of the esti-
additional families that
would be eligible for welfare
grants, Mr.. Brewer said that
about 700 cases would be types
where the mother heads the
household, and the additional
400 where there is an able
bodied, but unemployed man
in the household.
Breakdown Significant
This breakdown was con-
sidered significant because of
indications that Senator
Byrd might support an ex-
pansion for the program to
take in households headed bv
the mother, but that he might
oppose taking in the other
category.
The District last year. failed
to win congressional approval
Of a proposal to expand the
d-to-dependent-children pro-
gram to families with an able
bodied but unemployed father.
One reason for Senator Byrd's
Of this spending item
was that he found supporting
statistics submitted by city
welfare officials to be extreme
~ fuzzy, he said
Welfare officials today testi-
fled that their new figures
were based on data from COM
parable cities and pertinent
available figures here.
Welfare officials noted that
the cost of adopting an ex-
banded relief program in mid
fiscal year, as would be the
case. would be adjusted for a
six-month period in the cur
rent budget.
Cut at Junior Village
Meanwhile, Senator Byrd
has made it clear that he wants
the population of Junior VII
lage reduced to a hard-core
minimum. and will recommend
that the District get the help
that it needs to do the Job.
This should be our goal"
ne said. I'VE will give you the
,ools that will allow you to get
he children back with relatives
,r in foster homes
The tools are more child well
are workers, and a foster
home board rate that is higher
han the improved one the Dis
riot has propose d for fiscal
1854. Senator Byrd indicated
lis interest in the higher foster
nome board rate at hearings
asst week.
He asked Mr.. Brewer to esti-
nate yesterday what the hard
ore minimum at Junior Vii
age could be and to spell out
low many board child welfare
workers, along with the higher
board rate, would be needed to
maintain this minimum.
Sees Turn Of Tide
Mr.. Brewer told Senator
Byrd such steps would turn
he tide Of institutional care
hat has domin a ted in the
community for too long"
In a small way, the Welfare
Department already has tried
o do this, he said.
81 think you've made prog
eSs," Senator Byrd declared.
The population at Junior
Village was 799 yesterday. Jun
or Village is the city's institu-
ion for dependent youngsters.
Mr.. Brewer estimated 600 as
he bedrock figure, but asked
or permission to come in today
With a final estimate.
U Mess this drive Is made,
we are going to have to have a
econd Junior Village" Senator
syrd said.
Instead Of thinking in terms
f enlarging and leveling off at
very high population, I want
o think in terms Of cutting the
population down to the hard
ore," he said.
Senator Byrd also asked Mr..
Brewer how much it would cost
o start a new program to
each poverty-stricken families
low to raise their level Of liv-
1g by better budgeting, house
eeping and child care.
The cost was estimated at
800 for seven workers for six
lonths of fiscal 1854.
This was one of the pro-
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