Lawmaker wants to curb poverty with data-oriented approach

SALT LAKE CITY An Ogden lawmaker says regular reviews of public assistance data could hold the key to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Sen. Stuart Reid, R-Ogden, is sponsoring legislation that would require the Department of Workforce Services to establish and maintain a system to identify at-risk children and groups. The study would also identify trends to caseworkers, social scientists and government officials who develop plans and programs to assist individuals and families to break the cycle of poverty.

A recent review of public assistance records going back to 1982 showed that nearly half of adults on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families were on TANF as children. People who receive TANF assistance are among the state's poorest.

The research, conducted by Workforce Services officials and the University of Utah Social Research Institute, also found that 34 percent of people ages 21 to 39 who receive public assistance benefits were on public assistance as children.

Kristen Cox, executive director of the Utah Department of Workforce Services, said a lack of education attainment is a common problem. If a mother graduates from high school or at least earns a GED, the likelihood that her children will move into intergeneration poverty decreases, she said.

The department currently operates intensive workshops to prepare people to find and retain employment. Another program, essentially a boot camp to earn General Education Development or GED certificates, also helps them find work.

But Reid also wants the department to approach the issue from the perspective of children whose parents receive public assistance.

People who receive unemployment benefits, for instance, are required to demonstrate that they are actively seeking work. Reid envisions similar requirements of parents who receive public assistance demonstrating that their children are attending school as required and parents are following up on their child's academic progress as well as their nutritional and health care needs.

New programs or approaches that target strategies, and are not punitive, are needed to ensure better outcomes, he said.

"What we want to say is, we're willing to help you adults to the extent we make sure your children have better opportunities for success outside poverty and the welfare system," Reid said.