Blocking the Quickest Way to Success

From the Drum Major Institute (DMI) Blog

Maureen Lane, WRI Co-Director

Earlier this week the state Assembly in Albany voted to expand access to college education for people receiving welfare. This legislation could help many poor and vulnerable New Yorkers, but the gridlock in the state Senate is jeopardizing its future.

The leaders of the political circus upstate should take a moment to consider the story of someone like Hirah, whose life is literally in their hands and depends on their action.

When Hirah graduated from high school last year, the NYC welfare agency notified her that she must do 35 hours of workfare and that her college education does not count. She got into Hunter, and is the first in her family to go to college--no small feat for a teenager receiving public assistance. She even scored an internship and started with a full load of classes. "I was then assigned nine hours of WEP (Work Experience Program) to go along with my internship and my classes. I was so upset. I kept thinking to myself, 'How will I be able to maintain a good GPA, take part in an internship, and fulfill the WEP requirement all at the same time?'," she told me. "My mom was even more worried and scared than I was. My mom was afraid that our family's case might get sanctioned and we would be left with no benefits. I am also afraid, right now, for my siblings. I do not want them to be in my same situation when it is their turn to go to college."

She continued: "When I was given the WEP assignment regardless of having 13 class hours and 22 hours of internship- which adds up to 35 hours of work activity- I felt like welfare policies were placing obstacles in my way to prevent me from going to college. The hours I would have spent fulfilling the WEP requirement were going to replace the hours I would spend studying and doing homework. I was scared I might have to drop out of college. I was overwhelmed. Within the last three months, I have already missed classes because I had to attend appointments at my welfare center, at the team assessment group, at the job center, and at a fair hearing."

Thousands of people like Hirah need access to education and training while receiving public benefits, especially right now, with welfare rolls growing,as the Wall Street Journal recently reported. 

WRI URGENT CALL TO ACTION ON BILLS S5846 AND A1827A

IN ALBANY, NEW YORK!

WHAT ARE NYS SENATE BILL S5846 AND ASSEMBLY BILL A1827A?

The bills expand access to education across New York State!

S5846 and A1827A ensure all New Yorkers can access higher education by allowing baccalaureate (4-year) degree programs to count as appropriate work activities for women and men receiving public assistance.

WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW:

Call NY State Senator Daniel L. Squadron and tell him YOU support S5846 and want him to bring it to a vote THIS SESSION. Senator Squadron is Vice-Chair of the Social Services Committee in Albany: 518-455-2625.

Call your NYS Senator (Albany) and tell him/her to support S5846 and that you want the NYS Senate to vote on this bill. To find your representative call the League of Women Voters for NYC 212-725-3541 or visit the NYS Senate website is http://www.nysenate.gov.

Starved for a Brighter Future

From the Drum Major Institute (DMI) Blog

Maureen Lane, WRI Co-Director

Krsytle Cruz, the mother of a bright 4 year old girl, recently graduated from the Hunter College Nursing program. She received welfare while she earned her degree. The welfare agency in New York City told her she had to complete 35 hours of workfare each week. For four year college, New York welfare law only counts work-study and internships—not academic classes.

This doesn’t make any sense. Almost 90% of women receiving welfare who graduate college are lifted out of poverty. The ripple effect on kids attaining higher education is well-documented, too. Fortunately, Assemblyman Keith Wright has introduced a bill that would bring New York state welfare policy in line with federal policy and recognize the indisputable connection between educational opportunity and economic opportunity.

Through the Welfare Right Initiative at Hunter College, Krystle was able to complete 35 hours of internships and work-study each week while raising a family, attending classes and studying. It was a struggle that not all students can tackle. She was able to stay in school in part because of considerable advocacy on her own behalf. On average, Krystle was called into the welfare office twice a month and sent notices that she and her little girl would be cut off from food stamps or Medicaid. Even though she fully documented all her activity, she was still told that her hard work to acquire a college degree—work that gives her and her daughter opportunities for a better life—didn’t count.

When I last spoke to Krystle, she said: "In my own experience with women receiving public assistance, I have observed how their strong desire to go to school is crushed by caseworkers telling them that they cannot. Instead, women are sent to dead-end workfare assignments. The family remains starved for money, and starved for a brighter future."

A recent New York Times article reported that low-wage workers who move from welfare to employment often fail to advance because they need advanced skills and higher education. But Krystle was able to realize her dream and break out of this cycle. Her caretaking of sick family members led her to pursue nursing. Her family's pride in her accomplishment is shared by her college president, fellow students, and others who today receive public assistance. Better welfare policy would create more stories like hers.