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1994.04.05 : Arkansas Welfare Waiver

Contact:  ACF
Tuesday, April 5, 1994                      David Siegel
                                            (202) 401-9215


     HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala today approved a welfare
demonstration for Arkansas that will make revisions to the state's
Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program in certain
counties.

     Under the demonstration, young parents receiving AFDC will be
required to attend school on a regular basis.  In addition, the
state will implement a new method of calculating AFDC benefits for
families that have additional children while they are on welfare. 

     "The department continues to believe that state flexibility is
an important part of the administration of public welfare programs. 
Arkansas' demonstration seeks to encourage family responsibility and
I am approving it today," Secretary Shalala said.

     A key part of the demonstration is a requirement that AFDC
parents age 16 or younger attend school regularly, or face
reductions in benefits if they fail to do so.  If appropriate, a
teen-age AFDC parent can meet the requirement by attending an
alternative educational program.   

     Another aspect of the demonstration will mandate that
recipients be given access to family planning and group counseling
services that focus on the responsibilities of parenthood.

     Finally, the state will implement a waiver from regular policy
and not increase AFDC benefits when additional children are born 
into a family receiving welfare.  The provision will not apply in
cases where a child's birth is the result of a documented instance
of rape or incest.  

     The demonstration will operate for a period of five years in
all but 10 Arkansas counties.  It will include a rigorous
evaluation, utilizing random assignment to control and experimental
groups.
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