Community-based programs are critical to operating an efficient welfare system, but there is not enough information on the adequacy of community-based services. Claudia Coulton published an article in the Social Service Review titled “Metropolitan states Inequities and the Ecology of Work: Implications for Welfar

Worker skill level is another issue not addressed in the current or proposed reforms on welfare. In the article “Researching the ‘Race to the Bottom’ in State Welfare Reform” by William Berry, it is clear that “welfare policy has been made without regard to multiple levels of ecological influence on employment of low-skill workers” (1). There are many people who lose there jobs through obsolete or exported jobs and are in need of re-education to qualify for other work. These people, who were previously productive members of society, have suddenly become an extremely needy segment of society. Additionally, “Perceptions of the poor and of welfare […] tend to reflect attitudes and stereotypes that attribute poverty to personal failings rather than socioeconomic structures and systems” (4). This would certainly contribute to discrimination at the community level and these special circumstances must be used to determine eligibility for welfare.

Other family circumstances can show the complexity of welfare cases, such as female heads-of-household and transportation availability. The term female heads-of-household is defined as a single independent mother. These families had a poverty rate of 29.9% in 1998 and comprised the majority of poor families (“Resolution” 1). Further exploration of these circumstances shows a swing in employment for this segment of society from 43% to 60% from 1993 to 1999 (Coulton 154). This change has been accredited to the Earned Income Credit, which is an entitlement for low income families and their children (Berry 164). Certainly, one can appreciate the extreme circumstances that female heads-of-household in low income and depressed areas must endure. The availability of transportation must also be considered when assessing family need. Job location also becomes a problem for inner-city welfare recipients as they tend to only qualify for entry level posi

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