HEARING TARGETS WELFARE SYSTEM

Two members of Congress, in Cape Girardeau Monday for a field hearing on ways to fix the welfare system, were encouraged to find ways to reduce the maze of paperwork, eliminate duplication and provide greater flexibility at the local levels for administering welfare programs.

They were also urged to provide greater incentives for agencies dealing with children and families to better coordinate their efforts. The Community Caring Council, organized four years ago by state Rep. Mary Kasten of Cape Girardeau was cited as a model of this type of cooperation.

Kasten and representatives from some of the 38 agencies involved in the caring council provided information for the first of three panels that gave presentations. U.S. Rep. Bill Emerson, the ranking Republican member of the House Select Committee on Hunger, and U.S. Rep. Jill Long, a Democrat from Indiana, conducted the field hearing.

About 200 people turned out for the hearing at the Show Me Center, which Emerson noted was probably the largest attendance he has ever seen at a field hearing of the committee on hunger.

Several of those who testified offered some specific examples on how regulations could be changed to streamline the system and make better use of staff time.

Gary Stangler, director of the Missouri Department of Social Services, summed up the feelings of many of the people who attended the hearing when he urged members of Congress: "If you could craft legislation to allow people to unleash their common sense and spirit, we would appreciate it."

Dennis Reagan, director of the Cape County Division of Family Services office, complained that all too often regulations conflict and goals of various federal programs are not clearly defined.

"If someone tells me the intent of what they want me to accomplish, I can do it," said Reagan. "But we need to have some flexibility to accomplish it."

Kasten agreed that flexibility is a key consideration and joined with Stangler and others who said they were pleased that President Bush had indicated federal agencies needed to provide for greater local control on implementing welfare programs.

"I agree with the need to be holding us accountable, but still allowing us some flexibility in applying regulations," said Kasten. "We need more flexibility at the local levels."

Kathy Lewis, a caseworker for the Cape County Division of Family Services office, testified about some of the problems experienced by caseworkers as they attempt to work through the endless and always changing maze of forms and regulations.

Lewis, and others, suggested that making things simpler would enable staff to devote more time to dealing with clients and growing caseloads.

In setting up a case record, Lewis noted that at least 36 forms will be in the record to determine initial eligibility for AFDC and food stamps. In addition, various information on employment, earnings and other data has to be verified by the caseworker.

In 1987, Lewis said the county DFS office received a total of 214 memorandums from the state office, and 70 of those dealt with program changes for AFDC and food stamp. In 1991, 148 memorandums were received with 52 program changes. In between, the changes totaled 63 in 1988; 39 in 1989; and 52 in 1990.

"We are not efficiently or effectively serving the needs of our community," said Lewis. "The day-to-day needs of the client cannot be given our full attention, because so much time is taken up applying the correct rules and regulations, policies and procedures."

To introduce members of the Community Caring Council, Kasten explained that it was formed "of my frustrations and those of other caring professionals here who were dedicated to finding a better way to work with and for families and children in this community.

"We believe the breakdown of the traditional family structure, disintegration of community, and for many people, the loss of hope and self respect, can only be rectified by intense helping relationships."

Kasten said the council is striving to establish strong volunteer groups needed to mobilize all the available public and private resources. By getting community involvement, Kasten stressed that limited governmental resources can go a lot further.

"I am convinced that when capable people are dedicated to finding solutions it is possible to work through the complexities of our welfare system," she observed.

"My dream is that there will be a time when a family's needs can be quickly identified and meticulously evaluated, allowing more rapid access to services. In this process, the outcome should be that persons are able to be productive, have the dignity of work, the education to be permanently independent, and the motivation to teach their children the honesty and integrity that has promoted the American values of self-reliance, responsibility, and resourcefulness."

Shirley Ramsey, president of the caring council, outlined some of the "barriers" that have to be broken to provide effective cooperation.

A key part of that effort is the Inter-agency Staffing Team, which has 13 representatives represented that discuss specific cases.

"Thanks to an inter-agency agreement, now they sit down together, with the families involved, do some creative problem solving and the outcome is a comprehensive service delivery plan whereby each agency and the family commit to the mutual goal of empowering the child and family," said Ramsey.

Ramsey outlined many of the ideas being pursued by the council and concluded: "We have all come to realize that alone we can only do so much - but together, we can and are making a difference."

Emerson and Long praised the efforts of the council. "I think you are an entity that can serve as a role model for others to emulate," said Emerson. "I think it is remarkable how all this has been tied together ... you just kind of saw the need and went out and did it."

Myrna Grigsby, Area 3 director for the Division of Family Services, pointed out that in the 8th District the number of food stamp cases had increased from 29,659 to 37,767 between July of 1989 and January of this year. AFDC cases increased during the period from 11,164 to 13,258.

But Grigsby noted that staffing is provided at only 64 percent of the required number to do the job. Reducing paperwork would make staff more effective, she said.

Rep. Long said Monday's testimony showed there were a lot of good ideas at the local level for improving the welfare system and agreed that regulations need to be flexible because not all part of the country can be treated the same.

"All states have the same dilemma right now - what to do about an increasing demand on a decreasing amount of money," said Long.

Emerson said he supports "one-stop shopping" for public assistance, where program offices are "user friendly" and located at one place so welfare clients can get the help they need promptly.

"If the system functions in this one-stop shopping manner, I believe we have maximized the client's chances of gaining and maintaining self-sufficiency in the shortest amount of time," said Emerson.

"The basic purpose of these programs, after all, is to get able-bodied people back on their feet, back to work and to taking care of themselves and their families and communities."