WMAD- The Welfare Made A Difference National Campaign website

WMAD questionnaire for groups to use for candidate's forum/questionnaires

1. The 1996 welfare reform reduced the welfare rolls but didn't reduce poverty or promote economic security. The 2003 poverty numbers show, poverty among low income children and their custodial parents has increased. What changes would you make to the 1996 welfare law to help improve the lives poor families with children?

2. What is your view of marriage promotion by government? Do you support current proposals to use TANF funds to promote marriage, rather than using those funds to provide direct financial support to families?

3. Women bear disproportionate responsibility for caring for children, elders, and sick/disabled members of their own families. In what ways would your administration support caregivers? Would you support a policy that would support parents who receive welfare in their caregiving work by counting their caregiving work as fulfilling the TANF work requirements?

4. Immigration and welfare reforms enacted in 1996 shredded the safety net for non-citizen immigrants - impeding participation in food stamps, SSI, and welfare. The welfare program imposes a five-year ban on a non-citizen immigrant's access to TANF and allows states to extend the ban beyond the five years.

Do you believe that legal residents should be treated differently and unequally in comparison to US-born citizens? What steps would your administration take to change any aspects of social policies affecting immigrants?

5. Education and training is hard work and one of the surest routes out of poverty. Under current TANF law, education and training are limited to less than 12 months, and many states do not support it at all.

Do you support policies that would count participation in education and training program toward fulfilling TANF work requirements, thereby ensuring access to a full range of education and training options (basic education through higher education)?