title: Welfare reform: advocacy and intervention in the health care setting.
abstract: Welfare reform has drastically altered the lives of poor families in the US. In its wake, many former recipients are not receiving whatever transitional benefits and other safeguards to which they remain entitled under federal and state laws. Families are losing access to Medicaid and are not receiving the child care assistance or Food Stamps for which they continue to be eligible. Ill-served by stringent time limits and work requirements, lack of child care assistance, and lack of training and educational opportunities for the development of skills that will lead to better jobs, families need help to navigate the complexities of the new welfare system. Boston Medical Center's Department of Pediatrics has instituted a welfare screening project to educate families about their rights under welfare reform and assist them in advocating for themselves and their children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Boston Medical Center, MA 02118, USA. ellen.lawton@bmc.org
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lawton
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Leiter
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001900:Boston; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends; D018166:Health Care Reform / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D010344:Patient Advocacy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends*; D011203:Poverty / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends; D011632:Public Assistance / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends; D012946:Social Welfare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000639:trends*