WELFARE REFORM AND THE LONG-TERM CARE WORKFORCE

Abstract

The research reported in this paper examined the role of welfare reform in increasing the availability of entry-level workers to meet the rising demand for long-term care employees. Findings from national and statewide evaluations of welfare programs show mixed results in the extent to which beneficiaries could be shifted from welfare caseloads to the ranks of the paraprofessional labor force. Analysis of a welfare-to-work program in Rhode Island demonstrates the potential for recruiting welfare recipients to long-term care employment. It also shows the need for resources, supportive services, case management, and enhanced training to counteract the “work-first” philosophy of welfare reform.

Acknowledgments

The primary author is grateful for the support for this project provided by the Rhode Island College Faculty Research Fund, and for the comments on an earlier draft of the paper provided by Darek Niklas.

Notes

¹Includes 11 cases where individual was employed in long-term care at time of training.

¹Family Independence Program, serving clients on public assistance.

²Network, a program serving the unemployed.

³MHRH, acronym for the state's Mental Health Retardation and Hospitals division.