University Park, Pa. –- In encouraging low-income single mothers to earn a college education, federal and state governments, along with higher education institutions, will make a solid, long-term investment for the whole society, a Penn State researcher says.

Some policymakers object to using tax dollars to subsidize a college education for single mothers on partial welfare, notes Dr. Donald E. Heller, associate professor of education. They apparently believe that this discriminates against working-class, tax-paying Americans who earn an adequate wage but whose income still leaves them out of reach of a college education.

A new study finds that recipients have trouble with access, transportation and time.

TUESDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDayNews) -- A small study conducted in a Boston neighborhood highlights the difficulty of affording heart-healthy food when you're a beneficiary of food stamps.

A family of four receiving food stamps came up $227 short for the month, while seniors living alone came up $103 short.

I am pleased to be able to share with you some updates on the division's Strategic Plan, and to commend the organization for your accomplishments so far. DPA's Leadership Team has been reflecting on all of the accomplishments and new initiatives of the past year, while also looking ahead and refining our plans. The Strategic Plan that was rolled out last year emphasized a strong focus on outcomes, performance measurement, continuous improvement, and building new teams and teamwork on the heels of reorganization. DPA is delivering on all accounts!

This report analyzes the experiences of welfare “cyclers,” a group that has received relatively little attention in previous research on welfare dynamics. For this study, “cycling” is defined as receipt of welfare benefits during three or more discrete spells during a four-year observation period. The goals of this report are to understand the incidence of cycling and the types of families who cycle on and off the rolls, and, if possible, to shed light onto why they repeatedly return to assistance. The report also considers whether welfare cyclers appear to be more advantaged or more disadvantaged than other welfare recipients in the labor market.

Congratulations DPA! Your hard work is paying off ... again!

A departmental press release will go out soon announcing that Alaska will receive a federal High Performance Bonus of over $3.1 million dollars for federal fiscal year 2003! This will be the third year in a row that Alaska has received this award. The 2003 award recognizes our success in helping adults in Temporary Assistance families enter the job market and the efforts of the Child Care Program Office, Resource and Referral Agencies, and Local Child Care Administrators to deliver quality child care to Alaskan families.