Economic Policy
Poverty – Tales from the Recession’s Front Lines
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The roots of Women’s eNews are embedded in the media’s coverage of the 1996 welfare law.
Arts & Culture
Welfare Recipients Enjoy Bright Spots of Support
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Welfare recipients say a sense of isolation often comes with the predicament of needing public assistance. But there are activist leaders and support groups out there helping to battle that lonely, outcast feeling.
Health & Science
Health Reform Reality Kicks In: Costs Still High
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Coverage of people with pre-existing conditions was supposed to help women in particular, who suffer more chronic illness. But as the “high-risk pools” take effect, low-income women may have a harder time paying the premiums.
Work
Welfare Job Rules Hit Women With Disabilities
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Petra Rodriguez lost her welfare benefits when she injured her back and couldn’t keep her welfare work assignment. A Legal Aid lawyer says situations like hers help explain why the rolls have dropped–people are just discouraged from applying.
Work
Federal Job Funding Opens Doors for Single Mothers
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The federal funding program for job creation has given states various ways to help workers hurt by the recession. Florida created jobs for low-income parents, many of them young single mothers. Mississippi gave preference to employers with small payrolls.
Economic Policy
Diapers Not Eligible for Food Stamps? Crazy!
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A new study shows that many mothers are cutting back on basic necessities like food, heat and electricity to afford diapers. Allison Stevens looks at the emerging “diaper rights” movement mobilizing to make diapers more available for all children.
Commentary
U.S. Law Puts Credit Card Debt Before Single Moms
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The new financial regulatory overhaul is designed to protect consumers, but a 2005 bankruptcy law that can be particularly impoverishing for divorced women has been left intact.
Work
Need Welfare in Bronx? Come Back Tomorrow, Maybe
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Welfare caseloads have dropped steeply in recent decades, but some applicants in the South Bronx–one of the poorest communities in the country–say that’s not a sign of winning the battle over poverty. It’s about applicants feeling discouraged and disrespected in the waiting room.
Health & Science
Hard Times Test Obama’s Promise of More Medicaid
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Health reform promised to extend Medicaid to numerous childless women. But with states struggling to balance their budgets, women’s advocates fear a scaling back. They say it’s crucial for Congress to authorize more funds in coming weeks.
Work
Marriage Loses Ground as Anti-Poverty Panacea
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The Bush administration pushed marriage as a panacea for fighting poverty but a recent government study confirms the view of skeptics who say money problems must be solved first, since they destroy and destabilize relationships.