With the 1996 implementation of "Welfare Reform" we viewed the mandated changes with, at the very least, anticipation and often with a sense of doom. Increased State autonomy, block grant funding, increased work requirements and time limits placed our programs and our families into a state of flux. This was definitely not business as usual.

Thankfully results of these changes have been better than anyone anticipated. The combination of our slow economy and a five-year life time limit on financial assistance to families forced expanded partnerships with the private sector, new work and education policies, public involvement, and a focus on employment and educational support. These changes have been very rewarding to us as a Department and have changed the image and outlook of our clients.

The federal government uses 1995 as a benchmark. Since 1995 our assistance population has decreased by 31%, the number of families working has increased from 18% to 40 % and the average length of time a family spends on public assistance has decreased from 30 months to 15 months. These results have far exceeded our expectations.

We faced our first mandatory five-year cut off effective December 1, 2001. On December 1st we closed 529 cases. We expect to close between 200 and 400 cases every month after that as new families reach their five-year time limit. After the first year, we expect the number to be approximately 200 per month. These closures, although anticipated, pose a problem for the Department and an even greater problem for the community. These people are our families, neighbors and friends. Also two-thirds of those losing assistance are children as our average family size is 1 adult and 2 children.

Our current situation reflects the basic problem of a life time limit on assistance. We are unable to predict the future. No one knows what will happen five years from now or what the needs of families will be. No one anticipated the events of September 11th. We are now faced with the dilemma of how do we force people to work when there are no jobs. How do our families compete with all of the other households who have always worked and are now seeking employment due to layoffs? Do we need an additional safety net for times like these or are we as a community comfortable with the position that these people had their chance and now must make it on their own regardless of extenuating circumstance? These are the questions we are currently facing as an agency and a community as we plan for the present and the future.