W-b's Computer Dark Age Will See Light 
Old System Of Managing Information Hurts Taxpayers, Officials Say

Anna Mattey 
January 20, 1997 
Anna Mattey, Of Mountain Street, Swoyersville, Died Monday At Her Home.

By CECE TODD; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Wednesday, January 22, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A 





NANTICOKE -- Tuesday's public hearing on welfare reform could have been
summed up with one question: Who will care for the children? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But there was no real answer as the state Department of Public Welfare
explained reform plans that will require parents on welfare to work at least
part time. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sherri Z. Heller, the department's deputy secretary for income maintenance,
said a separate state plan addressing child care will be released sometime in
late February. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I don't think public officials want to create disaster for kids," Heller
said. "There will come a time when we will get clearer answers for a safety
net." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Valerie Thomas, a single parent who received welfare for about a year,
urged state officials to consider the effect on school-age children. She
pointed out that even if their income is $6 an hour, few parents can afford
day care before or after school. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That view was echoed several times during the hearing at Luzerne County
Community College. About 40 to 50 social service advocates and welfare
recipients attended the public forum, one of six across the state to gather
input for refining Pennsylvania's welfare plan. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Last year, President Clinton signed a law that eliminated Aid to Families
with Dependent Children, a federal- and state-funded welfare program. That was
replaced with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Among numerous provisions, the new program includes work and parenting
requirements and sets a five-year lifetime limit for cash assistance for most
adults. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Each state was then required to submit a plan for enacting the federal
changes. Pennsylvania is largely using Act 35, a state welfare overhaul signed
into law by Gov. Tom Ridge last year. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Judith Grazino of Northeastern Children's Services in Scranton testified
that two-thirds of the state's welfare recipients are children. She said that
"in the sense of urgency to get parents working," there will be an urgent need
for child care. "We must find ways to assure the health and safety of
children." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Diana Crecca, who operates two day care centers in Luzerne County, told
state officials that parents are not the only ones who need help in breaking
the cycle of welfare. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Children are also part of the cycle," Crecca said. "We need to give them a
chance." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Dave Ritter testified on behalf of the Commission on Economic Opportunity.
CEO provides food, housing and utility assistance to 20,000 people in Luzerne
and Wyoming counties; 60 percent are welfare recipients. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Ritter said previous welfare restrictions have contributed greatly to
homelessness in Pennsylvania. In reforming the system, "we cannot place our
children in peril," he said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 TIMES LEADER/CLARK VAN ORDEN &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 More than 40 social services advocates and welfare recipients attended
Tuesday's welfare hearing at Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Welfare Plan Must Not Neglect Kids, Hearing Concludes The State Listens To Public And Professional Concerns As It Shapes A New Welfare Law