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The State of Maine has become a shining example of a
successful program for moving parents off the
welfare rolls and into the workforce. In operation
for a number of years, the premise of Maine’s
"Parents as Scholars" program is simple. Increased
education is a critical factor in determining
whether a person will be able to transition off
welfare and keep a job with a decent income – one
that allows them to support themselves, their
children and their families.
"Parents as Scholars" has given hundreds of
parents in Maine the opportunity to raise their
incomes, by giving them access to higher education
programs at the state’s two- and four-year colleges.
The parents, who must be eligible for the federal
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF)
although they are supported by state money, are held
to high standards. They are expected to demonstrate
commitment to their courses of study and maintain
minimum grade point averages. While they can’t use
the state money for tuition, they can use it to make
sure they and their families have the services they
need to succeed.
The results have been nothing short of
impressive. A recent study found that, given the
tools to build their education, the participants in
"Parents as Scholars" have improved their median
wage by about 50 percent – from $8.00 per hour to
$11.71 per hour. Seventy-one percent of
Parents-as-Scholars graduates take advantage of
their employer-sponsored health insurance, and most
impressive, ninety percent of the working
parents-as-scholars graduates have left TANF
permanently.
These graduates’ personal stories are just as
impressive. I had the opportunity to personally meet
six graduates of the program. Michelle is just one
example. She had been sleeping on a friend’s couch
with her infant daughter and had to hitchhike
back-and-forth to work. Parents as Scholars gave her
the assistance she needed to sustain her family,
earn her degree, and get a good job. Michelle now
works with people with severe mental illness. And
she has gone on, on her own, to earn a masters in
social work. She is thriving, and her daughter is
thriving – and her daughter has learned a lesson
about the importance of education and hard work,
from a role model she sees every day right at home.
Maine’s program is a model for other states to
follow and that is why I am committed to making it a
nationwide program. During consideration of the
Welfare Reform bill by the Senate Finance Committee
last summer, I won passage of an amendment, based on
my legislation, "The Pathways to Self-Sufficiency
Act", to expand the Parents as Scholars Program.
Parents will be expected to meet the same hours
requirements as other TANF recipients. But by
letting them count their hours working in the
classroom the same as hours at work, we will open
the door for them to secure better jobs in the long
run.
Unfortunately this past Spring, the Welfare
Reauthorization bill, which included this provision,
fell prey to partisan politics in the Senate.
Despite this setback, I will fight to bring this
legislation back up for consideration. Because the
bottom line is simple – just as getting a higher
education increases the earnings potential of all
individuals, it can also help an individual get off
welfare and into a job with good pay permanently.
While parents are on welfare, we should be
encouraging them to use that time to prepare
themselves for economic independence – whether that
be through giving them time to get their high school
diploma, receive substance abuse treatment, or
pursue longer duration vocational or post-secondary
education. The state of Maine has shown that such
programs can make a difference with the success of
"Parents as Scholars." It’s a lesson that must be
shared with the rest of the nation.
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