Published March 14, 1997
Dorothy L. Ailes' Response to
GREASE THE WHEELS OF OUR POLITICAL MACHINE
by Greer Glazer (January 6, 1997)
Dear Editor:
I am writing in regard to Greer Glazer's article of January 6th, 1997, encouraging nurses to become politically involved. I would like to encourage nurses to become aware of and involved with the welfare reform. I believe this reform will impact our health care system in many ways and nurses can address these issues.
The reform is an attempt to change a style of living that is dependent upon others and increase these individuals self concepts. There are area in the reform that leave children and adolescents particularly vulnerable.
In Wyoming, families who have not responded to the notices from Welfare have all their benefits dropped for a minimum of 30 days, this includes Food Stamps. Families can reapply for Food Stamps prior to the 30 days, but uninformed workers are not allowing this. Our community's food closet cannot support these families for a 30 day period and so, the children suffer.
Teen mothers in Wyoming are required to go back to school right after the birth in an effort to stem the high numbers of mothers who do not return to school. Creative ways will be needed to help establish breast feeding for any young mothers who are interested and methods of bonding will need to be promoted. Wyoming does have funds available to provide at home tutoring for new mothers, but not all schools support this policy nor offer it to young mothers.
These changes in welfare come at a time that Wyoming is strengthening the rules on day care to provide better care. As a result, day care centers will be taking fewer infants and the cost will be higher. In the February 3, 1997 issue of Time, an article by J. Madeleine Nas, "Fertile Minds," states that "good affordable day care is not a luxury or fringe benefit for welfare mothers and working parents but essential brain food for the next generation." We are at cross purposes with the young mothers being forced back to school earlier and a decrease in number of day care slots.
"What does this have to do with me?" many of you ask. To the extent that the early needs of the adolescent mothers and their children are not well met, they will eventually impact the health care system by presenting in later stages of disease or illnesses which will increase the cost of their care. These children are part of the future. If the affected children do not have the abilities to eventually contribute to society, our entire society will suffer. As a concerned nurse, see what your state is doing for welfare reform. Are there adequate programs in communities available for helping with nutrition, day care, one-on-one tutoring? Welfare reform does not come with the enactment of this legislation, but it has to be society that reforms also. What are you doing to help the children with this reform?
Dorothy L. Ailes, BSN, RN-C, PNP
9406 Delaware Street
Cheyenne, Wyoming 82009
Published March 5, 1997
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