Hypothetical: How would you improve the welfare system for families?

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I want to warn that the civility level of the thread appears to be spiraling out of control.

If you disagree with ideas, simply disagree, no need to make things personal.
 
In respect to both Theo and Q, why not concede that many of the poor could use a variety of options, from child care, to professional work to even entrepreneurship?

The Jeremiah Program helps single mothers achieve college education in preparation for professional employment. While programs like Accion offer microfinance model to help the disadvantaged become entrepreneurs.
 
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Theo520 said:
When your kid goes to regular school, only some of their staff are trained in CPR, First Aid, etc. Not all their staff. Didn’t you know that?
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My kid is in a private school, a workplace that like mine, requires ALL its staff, including teachers, to be trained in CPR and first aid.

Your assumptions show your own lack of knowledge.
 
I would trust my children at a daycare that demanded a higher education of its workers. First aid and CPR doesn’t cut it. Other courses in parenting, responding to emotional problems, learned behaviours etc is necessary as you will be dealing with children with ASD as ell
 
QContinuum said:
My kid is in a private school, a workplace that like mine, requires ALL its staff, including teachers, to be trained in CPR and first aid.

Your assumptions show your own lack of knowledge.
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Right, you are willing to pay for deluxe care, good on you!

Not everyone can afford that bill, and not everyone in public schools is CPR certified.
I’m sure the teachers are, but not everyone.
 
First aid and CPR will let you be a babysitter where I live. You need more to work in a day care, special care home, hospital, nursing home
 
Nope, not at all. I’m not disdainful of a G.E.D. It’s perfectly fine to build on with college or training or certifications.

I take issue with Theo’s apparent stance that most single mothers in welfare are incapable of more than just unskilled, uncertified child care.
 
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RCIAGraduate said:
How would you improve the welfare system to better meet the needs of families with children? Specifically, if you had unlimited leverage, what steps would you take to develop welfare programs to help families climb out of poverty?

Again, I just want to remind everyone to keep it civil and charitable with candor as well.
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Home visits and drug tests.

Drug tests would do a LOT to help Welfare drop people abusing it.
 
Theo520 said:
Right, you are willing to pay for deluxe care, good on you!

Not everyone can afford that bill, and not everyone in public schools is CPR certified.
I’m sure the teachers are, but not everyone.
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We all have our priorities. Mine is to live in a modest, 1000 sq. foot home and share a car with my beloved spouse, so our kid can go to a good school. Before that, we home schooled him.
 
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I can see home visits as being a potential support. For all we know, many poor parents experience social isolation and lack social support and something as simple as a home visit could do wonders. On the other hand, if we have overworked, burnt-out, cold, impersonal and seemingly uncaring professionals, more harm could be done instead,
 
I’m 100% for that. I really don’t get consigning the majority of single moms on welfare to unskilled work.

Not all of them can be a nurse or tech or run a business, and I never said so. But most of them are capable of improving their current skill level to some degree.
 
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I would get rid of means testing altogether. People should be able to get medical coverage without having to be rich, have a good job or be over 65 or in poverty. In some states, you have to be practically destitute to get medicare. It is plain stupid.
 
Is that even sustainable though? Especially in light of “moral hazard” (a lot of people would bandwagon on the public option which could stress the system’s capacity). Granted, there are plans out there but covering 300 million plus people (many of whom have complex conditions and special needs) does seem like quite a challenge.
 
I am all for a universal system. Everyone pays in, everyone is covered for the essentials. Part of it could be payed for by a national VAT (similar to a sales tax, they are used in much of the world) and an increase in the Medicare deduction from payroll.
 
Well, Warren Buffett would be paying taxes to make sure they and their families and friends all had medical coverage too.
 
There would be no opting out of paying. People would pay a consumption tax and an income tax for basic coverage. They wouldn’t be able to hop on and off the bandwagon.

Our system right now is a huge hidden tax. Our Federal government alone spends a larger % of it’s budget on healthcare than most countries, including ones like Canada that cover everyone. Our prices are around twice as high as the most expensive countries, like Switzerland for virtually every medicine or service. Plus, the cost of employer subsidized plans are passed on in cost increases of goods and services. People are already paying far more here for health care, even if they don’t have insurance!
 
Mtdobbs said:
I don’t know if it’s been said yet but drug testing should be mandatory if you are receiving welfare as the system is abused so much and keeps people trapped.
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And if they test positive, do you throw them out on the street? Nobody gets off drugs without treatment. The latter would seem like the next humane step.

Ironically . . . . Mandated drug tests unconstitutional per Supreme Court precedent - The Independent Florida Alligator
Mtdobbs said:
Some of the money should be released, while some should, in conjunction with grocery stores, be put in accounts to be used for food, especially if there are children involved. Again, in my city, I know of some parents with children and more of the welfare goes towards cigarettes and alcohol than food. Not trying to add to a stereotype, as I also know families who are faithful with their welfare.
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In the same line as drug treatment, I’d like to see more nicotine addiction treatment, maybe even adding patches as a benefit.
Mtdobbs said:
The problem with welfare is that it has the tendency to keep people on welfare.
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TANF benefits require 30-50 hours of work among the able-bodied, depending on whether the household is headed by one or two adults. So people on TANF already work. Inadequate benefits and inadequate wages contribute to the problem of keeping people on welfare.

One of two things have to happen to enable people to pay for rent/mortgage, utilities, food, and clothing; either wages rise or taxpayer funding rises. As long as both options throw some conservatives into conniptions, however, the poor will remain dependent on social programs to pay rent, utilities, and food.

If Americans can make a decent living, it’s good for the economy. Common sense.
 
Before raising taxes, we could reallocate them. There’s a lot of wasteful government spending in the military sector.
 
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