"Whenpeople talk about "welfare," they most often have in mindAFDC – Aid to Families with Dependent Children. That's the aidto the able-bodied women with children who don't work. And what doesthat aid costs us? Last year the Federal government spent $15 billionon AFDC. And this money went to less than 5 million mothers with 10million children. Only 8 percent of these mothers are teenagers, only1 percent of them under 18. Forty-eight percent are between 20 and29, while 45 percent are over the age of 30. Most of the women onwelfare are there because of divorce or separation, and half of themget off in the first year, three-quarters by the second year. Manyof these women will fall back onto welfare within two years of leavingit, but 50 percent of all AFDC recipients leave welfare permanentlyin less than 4 years. Only 15 percent stay on welfare continuouslyfor five years or longer..."
"– only 15 percentof AFDC recipients remain on welfare continuously more than five years,and of those who do, only 20-25 percent of their daughters becomedependent on AFDC – but still, there is enough dependency toprompt our concern and response. And perhaps many of the mothers onthe AFDC rolls are not deserving to be there. This question of thedeserving poor typically generates a routine and unilluminating thoughrancorous public debate"
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