Essay on Solution and Advantages
The solution to existing economic, social and political problems of children relying on the welfare programs may be found in the changing of priorities of welfare programs and their focus on helping children to change their life on their own with the help of the government aide and the enhancement of the public control over welfare program and political representation of children by a non-government organization.
In such a way, the proposed solution contains three major elements. First, the government should maintain welfare programs but shift them from the mere financial aid provided for children toward the funding of programs that help children to change their life for better, for instance educational programs. Second, the proposed solution should include the close cooperation between key stakeholders that can help children in terms of welfare programs, including educators, psychologists, and community members (Lyons-Ruth & Jacobvitz, 1999). Finally, the proposed solution offers an opportunity for children in need to enhance their political representation through the creation of the non-government organization that can operate nationwide and protect interests of children relying on welfare programs.
The solution is advantageous because it offers the solution of economic problems of children relying on welfare programs which should include the development of welfare programs that help not only children but also their parents to resolve their economic problems. In this regard, the solution of the economic problem associated with the welfare programs is twofold. On the one hand, welfare programs should facilitate education of children and provide them with larger opportunities to obtain higher education, for instance, through a system of government-sponsored grants for needy children. On the other hand, parents of children relying on welfare programs should receive additional government support, in case of the successful learning of their children. For instance, parents of children relying on welare programs may receive additional government financial support, if their children enter college. As a result, parents will be interested in the education of their children and they can support their children in their learning efforts, while children will have better educational opportunities because they can count on government grants that will help them to tackle financial issues, if they decide to obtain the higher education. Hence, children will just need to learn successfully to be able to obtain the higher education. Today, the higher education is still a better opportunity for children to improve their quality of life, when they grow up and start their professional career because graduates can count on about 20% higher wages compared to low- or semi-qualified employees.
The proposed solution can help to resolve social problems of children relying on welfare programs. The social problem of children relying on welfare programs should be resolved through the close interaction between educators, psychologists and community members. They should unite their efforts to prevent children relying on welfare programs from joining gangs. Psychologists can help children to resolve their psychological problems, instead of shifting from their families, where they cannot always find support, to gang members, where they often just try to find a new family and support through the feeling of belongingness to the gang (Gauthier, et al., 1996). Community members should offer children relying on welfare programs social activities within the community, such as sports. For instance, local communities can create teams and sponsor local tournaments that will develop positive behavioral patterns in children because they will focus on sports rather than on the gang life.
As for the resolution of the problem of the political under-representation of children relying on welfare programs, the proposed solution is also beneficial because this problem may be resolved through the closer interaction between parents of children relying on welfare programs and local authorities. For instance, social workers can attend families receiving the government aide and report on problems those families, especially children, have. Once a month, the local authorities should conduct the meeting where the major issues related to the life of families relying on welfare programs can be discussed and resolved, if possible. In addition, the creation of a public non-government and non-profit organization that operates nationwide can also enhance the political participation of children relying on welfare programs (Wolf, 2002). This non-profit organization should focus on problems of children specifically. In such a way, the government will have to deal with the public organization which operates nationwide and protects interest of children relying on welfare programs rather than with parents of those children or small communities. Moreover, this organization will be able to provide legal assistance to children in need and help them to receive the government aide to the full extent. More important, this organization can also help them to change their lifestyle offering them educational programs for free. At the same time, as a public body, the organization can monitor the use of public funds spend on welfare programs. In such a way, the organization can become a significant political power, which politicians will have to take into consideration.
Thus, the proposed solution contains a complex of measures that help children to change their life for better. In economic terms, children can obtain better career opportunities due to the better education. In social terms, children will turn from gang life and crimes toward active involvement in the life of their community based on the support of educators, psychologists and community members. Finally, in political terms, the non-government organization can enhance their political representation and protect their interests.
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