It started with some numbers: 12,236 families currently on AFDC, 26,837 receiving food stamps, and 80,578 receiving Medicaid (figures from the Florida Department of Children and Families).
The Department estimates that about 9,400 jobs will need to be found over the next two years to implement the two-year limit on AFDC aid. A state-funded program called Project Independence has been piloting a similar welfare reform project for several years and, according to the article, has succeeded in filling about 4,000 jobs already. The 9,400 jobs are in addition to the 4,000.
Interviews with human-services providers in the article suggest an interesting attitude. There is no call for opposition to the coming reform or for a movement to change the legislation that has passed. What's been enacted seems to be accepted as the coming reality. Instead, these providers are concerned about making the transition to the new reality as painless as possible. They concede that there will be temporary pain for current recipients but seem to feel that once this set of recipients is placed in jobs, the new system will stabilize itself and great numbers of new recipients are not to be expected. They pledge to make the new system work as well as possible.
Specifically, they don't seem greatly worried about finding the necessary jobs. They're more concerned about changing the life styles of those now receiving aid--that is, making them employable. I'm not sure whether they're right about the jobs. We have a rapidly growing economy, a rapidly growing population, and a very low unemployment rate. The economy is generating about 5,000 net new jobs per year, though the net job growth has varied greatly over the last few years. Many of these are in the services sector and are relatively low-skill, low-pay jobs. Many are not full-time jobs and do not offer the kinds of benefits most full-time employees receive. It would appear that "success" in welfare will probably mean increasing the number of working poor.
I do think that the providers interviewed are right about the need for employability training for many of those who will soon be thrust into the workforce. But I'm not sure local human-services providers know how to provide such training effectively. Our local community college (where my wife works) is now scrambling to develop new programs to respond to this need. We'll see what happens.
Return to Jacksonville, Fla.