The+Family,+the+State,+&+State+Policy

The Development of the Welfare State
====A welfare state is a capitalist government that has enacted numerous measures, such as Social Security, unemployment, compensation, and a minimum wage, to protect workers and their families from the harshness of the capitalist system. In this sense "welfare" isn't being used to describe a system that helps with the poor, it describes a system that was put in place to raise the standard of living for workers in their family after many laborers and minority groups pushed for it during the 1950s and 1960s. (Cherlin, 473, 474)====

====A reason to be aware of the term "welfare state" is so that when we are working with families that may have to take advantage of many of these benefits, we don't have a negative attitude towards it. Many of these measures that have been enacted are ones that nearly every American is grateful for, and has used, such as a minimum wage. It is also good to be aware of the ways to receive these benefits, and how to know if someone is misusing them, or when they're not using them to receive the aid that they need. Although in some of the cases that many professionals will be working with families they will not need to know this, it would be helpful to be able to get the family to not be dependent on many government funded programs. There are many instances where families are afraid to ask for help and as a professional it may be your responsibility to have the knowledge to share with them so that they can live a better lifestyle.==== Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a program that was previously known as AFDC (Aid for Families with Dependent Children). The name was changed during the 1996 Welfare Reform Law. Mothers couldn’t stay home full time to take care of their children like the AFDC suggested, so the name was changed. This program was created to help low income families support their children. It is a time limited program for assistance. There is a five year time limit to receive the assistance and recipients must search for a job within two years of receiving benefits. (Cherlin, 481) This topic is important for professionals to know about because there may be families that they work with who need to be on a program like this but don’t have the knowledge about it. Knowing information about the program and who is eligible may help to determine who truly needs to be on the program or if there are other ways to receive benefits. Parents should be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations on the program. It is a time limited program in which you are not allowed to just go by without some sort of effort. Families can become accustomed to receiving benefits without even thinking twice about the requirement. Being on a program such as this is not an easy thing to do.
 * Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)**