International Perspectives on Welfare to Work Policy

Presents research on the interpretations of "welfare-to-work" in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Hong Kong, and on the role social work plays in creating and implementing social welfare policies. This book addresses crucial issues, including key policy and practice concerns for social work professionals.

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International Perspectives on Welfare to Work Policy presents the latest available research on the various interpretations of “welfare-to-work” in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Hong Kong, and on the role social work plays in creating and implementing social welfare policies. Preeminent social work scholars from around the world address the changing nature of social work policy and practice, as welfare recipients are required to work in order to receive benefits. This invaluable book examines issues of importance to practitioners and policymakers, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), child welfare, learning disabilities, work and direct payments, Intensive Employment Assistance Projects (IEAPs), and social inclusion.

At a time when many governments in the industrial world are reducing social expenditures and privatizing social programs, International Perspectives on Welfare to Work Policy encourages the social work profession to be more actively involved in lobbying for social and economic policies that promote social investments, maximize opportunities, foster productive employment, ensure a decent standard of living, and make it easier for everyone to be involved in the economic, political, cultural, and social lives of their communities. The book addresses crucial issues that were raised by its contributors in 2005 at an international symposium organized by the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Social Welfare, including key policy and practice concerns for social work professionals.

International Perspectives on Welfare to Work Policy examines:

• the abolition of the Aid to Families with Dependant Children program (AFDC) in the United States
  
• the implementation of coordinated service delivery models in California
  
• the development of a diversion program that provides a lump sum of cash to alleviate short-term emergencies
  
• the effects of welfare-to-work programs on single parents in the United Kingdom
  
• the “new deal” offered by social inclusion in mental health policy
  
• the role of income support in dealing with learning disabilities
  
• the role of Australian social workers in two agencies—the Job Network and CentreLink
  
• the development of a program in Hong Kong that helps beneficiaries of means-tested unemployment benefits find work

International Perspectives on Welfare to Work Policy is an important resource for social policy educators and students working in social work, sociology, and political science.