Poverty is not always a moral issue, but in many instances it is. Morality, of course, in the broad sense of living in accordance with our God-given purpose. Which is another way of saying knowing the difference between right and wrong, making good choices instead of bad choices.
The following article caught my eye. So much government spending to combat poverty contains no real element of change in the individual being helped, and in a very basic way, rewards poor choices. The actual result, then, is to encourage people to continue making bad choices that have lead them into poverty, because they get free money for doing so. Twisted, but simply true. Which makes the following stand out from the typical welfare program:
"A program in Colorado that focuses on helping non-custodial fathers gain
employment and pay child support provides a refreshing example of
effective state-led antipoverty efforts."
"Initial results from the
Colorado Parent Employment Program (CO-PEP) demonstrate the power of work and
careful case management, with a focus on outcomes, in increasing the economic
and social involvement of formerly addicted or incarcerated men in their
families’ lives. Funded through a public/private partnership and administered
by the new Colorado Division of Child Support Services, CO-PEP resembles
similar projects in Texas
that focus on transformational
rather than transactional assistance. In other words, assistance isn’t just
financial aid but an investment of both social capital and money coupled with
some tough love.
"How did CO-PEP achieve
this kind of success? They first had to understand that most absent parents
(mostly fathers) want to work, earn money, and support their children and
former partners. CO-PEP set up these absent parents with coaches and case
managers, who trained them for up to 14 hours a month in work preparation, parenting
skills, and financial literacy. Then they got them into employment — and the
positive outcomes followed from there."
Read the whole article here.
