As Congress Approaches Controversial Choices, Experts Assess Welfare Reform

9/3/2002

From: Nancy Bennett, 800-834-1110

News Advisory:

When Congress returns from the August recess it will face the challenge of reauthorizing the welfare reform legislation it passed five years ago. Chief among the unresolved issues are funding for child care/early care, education and training for welfare recipients and the work requirements.

The Communications Consortium Media Center and its Welfare News Alert Initiative are sponsoring two toll-free media/editorial writer briefing calls on these issues after Labor Day. Both calls will review these issues from a national and state perspective. Each call will feature an overview by Dr. Larry Aber of the National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University. Then state-based organizations will provide additional perspectives focusing on welfare reform progress in four diverse states - Louisiana, Maine, Missouri, and Ohio. Both calls will cover the same topics, with two state organizations participating in each.

What: Audio news briefings on welfare reform

Wednesday, Sept. 4 2-3 p.m. (EDT)

Toll-free dial in No.: 888-339-1203 Passcode: 6172834 Speakers: -- Dr. Larry Aber, National Center for Children in Poverty -- Laura Fortman, Maine Policy Center -- John Corlett, Ohio Federation for Community Planning

Thursday, Sept. 5 2-3 p.m. (EDT)

Toll-free dial in No.: 888-339-1203 Passcode: 6172839 Speakers: -- Dr. Larry Aber, National Center for Children in Poverty -- Judith Watts, Louisiana Agenda for Children -- Ruth Ehresman, Citizens for Missouri's Children

Background information, including state-based research on various welfare reform issues, can be found at http://www.welfarenewsalert.org/.