WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- As a major U.S. welfare reform law marked its 10th anniversary Tuesday some Washington analysts noted it does not do enough to help single mothers.
Researchers have said the 1996 law, which stipulated that welfare was to be a temporary step on the way to joining the workforce, leaves many who are unable to hold jobs in very difficult positions financially, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
They said many mothers continue to need money and counseling because parenting issues and personal problems make it difficult for them to remain working. A study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimated that 1 million poor mothers are unemployed and not receiving welfare benefits.
The study also found that as of 2003, 10 to 20 percent of mothers who were taken off welfare in the years since the law was enacted had no significant means of support one or two years later, the Times said.
"There aren't so many mothers who could never get on track, but getting them into work will take a lot more time and resources than many states have been able to provide," welfare researcher LaDonna Pavetti, with Mathematica Policy Research, told the newspaper.
