Enhancing parental power and flexibility in the transition from welfare to work

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Susan Eberhard,

Affiliations: Department of Rehabilitation Counselling, University of Wisconsin-Stout, WI, USA

Note: [] 3147 Dans Drive, Stevens Point, WI 54481, USA. Tel.: +1 715 341 7138; E-mail: eberhard@coredcs.com

Abstract: Recent welfare reforms in the United States shifted the emphasis from income maintenance to preparation for employment. Many families receiving welfare benefits have members with disabilities, which can complicate the process of transition into the workforce. Rehabilitation professionals have a unique set of skills, expertise and experiences which could enhance work transition outcomes for welfare recipients. This purpose of this article is to (a) familiarize rehabilitation professionals with welfare reform changes in the United States, (b) summarize the experiences of families affected by those changes who participated in a recent study, and (c) present a service delivery model to enhance parental power and flexibility based on rehabilitation principles.

Keywords: welfare reform, assessment and planning, rehabilitation implications

Journal: Work, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 21-30, 1999