Poverty and Needy families
Various programs have been begun in the U.S to assist the needy. The assistance offered by such programs includes food, Medicare, supplemental nutrition plans and Medicaid. One of the programs that are designed to achieve this role is WIC which offers assistance to needy mothers and children. The key assistance programs given by WIC are to ensure poor mothers and their kids have access to good breastfeeding programs, healthcare and education. Although people are often employed, disparities exist in the level of income associated with various employments.
Low wages are common in many jobs, particularly those held by the poor who have no alternative ways of catering for the needs of their families. Moreover, the desperate are also vulnerable to jobs with no security (Irving, 2011). Another program that offers essential services to needy families with at most two kids is the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). This program is mandated to ensure that all needy children have access to basic needs such as education at the comfort of their homes.
In order to operate optimally, TANF works through the assistance of OCR which adheres to civil rights laws to help TANF in offering services without any form of discrimination. Any selectivity on the basis of race, nation of origin, or sex is prohibited in the activities of TANF. For any of the families within the U.S to qualify, the family must be able to demonstrate fully that they are incapable of catering for their needs due to being pregnant or having children below 19 years. For children attending high school, the age limit for school fees assistance is 18 years. Other persons who qualify for assistance include pregnant women with their husbands, the homeless and those who have met immigration needs.
Apart from the basic needs services offered by TANF, the program also helps through other services such as aiding in transition from dependence to independence through helping youths and the needy to avoid illegal activities such as drug use, giving English classes to enhance employability, rehabilitation, various kinds of training and through helping the needy families to avoid violence and other forms of misunderstanding in families. Through these activities, TANF acts appropriately by avoiding discrimination on any basis. The program ensures that all beneficiaries are those who possess the necessary qualifications to be considered for assistance. Those who have no dependent children do not qualify for any assistance. Moreover, the program is in accordance with the family policy in that all families are treated equally.
Poverty is a key social problem in the U.S today. Poor families experience various problems such as low self-esteem, poor health and lack of opportunities to access basic services. It is also highly probable for children from needy families to be engaged in criminal activities such as theft due to the need in their families. The children are also vulnerable to the development of other forms of antisocial behaviors such as drug abuse due to the problems of stigma, and isolation in the social set-up (Moffat, 2003). The values that the society associates with poverty have also made the issue to be regarded as ridden with disability and disease. In any case, those who live in poor conditions are also more likely to engage in criminal activities, and can also result in other problems such as lack of employment and child labor among others.
References
Irving, S.K (2011). Comparing Program Participation between TANF and non-TANF families before and During a Time of Recession. Washington, DC: U.S Department of Commerce, Economics and Statistics Administration, U.S Census Bureau.
Moffit, R. (2003). The Role of Non-Financial Factors in Exit and Entry In the TANF program. Madison, Wis. Institute of Research on Poverty
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