Because each town was responsible for their own poor, rules were often made to dissuade would-be users of the assistance programs. “Local authorities were clever about reducing the welfare price tag with strategies designed to discourage people from applying for relief. One popular tactic, used widely until the mid-twentieth century, was to list welfare recipients by name in the town’s annual written report” (Weiss, 1990, p. 35). Given today’s confidentiality policies, this would not be tolerated. Applicants and recipients are granted a great deal of privacy, protecting them from the public humiliation that was popular in historical times.

During, and following, the Great Depression, President Hoover was against a federally funded welfar

Under federal guidelines that each state must undergo drastic changes to reduce spending, Minnesota implemented work programs. “A comprehensive study of welfare reform in Minnesota finds (that) there are great family stability, more marriages, fewer instances of domestic violence, and improvement in the behavior of school performance of children” (LA Times, 2000, p. 1). Their new programs included financial incentives, along with support programs for their recipients. Those involved were “allowed to collect supplemental cash benefits” and “child care and continued medical insurance” (LA Times, 2000, p. 1). Minnesota has since ended that pilot program, but kept many of the positive aspects for their current clientele.

“The workfare concept was first used in state and local general assistance programs as early as the 1930’s, but was prohibited for federally supported programs until 1981, except for special demonstrations” (Fanning, 1989, p. 11). This program allows its’ recipients to gain powerful job experience where they would most likely not be hired directly.

Some topics in this essay:
WISCONSIN Wisconsin, COAST HISTORY, Children ADFC, York City’s, Elaine Kinslow, President Roosevelt, LA Times, Avenues Independence, Indiana ADFC, WIN Incentive, welfare reform, weiss 1990, fanning 1989, welfare programs, fanning 1989 15, reduce spending, brown 1999, 2000 1, 1989 15, dependent children, assistance programs, river valley resources, fanning 1989 13, la times 2000, times 2000 1,