Many of the companies that hire in home medical transcriptionists will provide the computer for free. Do your research about this and apply to those that do provide them. I know two people in this field who never had to pay one penny for their computer system BUT I'm not sure if it's only meant to be used for work and not personal use. Again, good luck!

I'm happy for you that you have an appointment. Hopefully you will feel better about your situation knowing that temporary relief is near. I would ask your caseworker for referrals to household budgeting help, nutrition counseling, and education/ vo-tech training help as well. I know there are many grant funded programs out there that you may also qualify for while you are receiving assistance. These programs are set up to give you extra time to pursue training in a lucrative career field that perhaps you can do at home. Good luck to you.

sOnic, You've lost this debate with your lack of compassionate tone. You haven't helped the original OP with any of your judgemental/overly critical/holier than thou/arrogant comments. Instead, you've probably made her feel worse. For the sake of not shaming more people on this board who need to humbly ask for support and encouragement, stop now. Please.

Well, Mejane, it appears as if some on this thread lacks compassion for those who need to apply for it. Sadly, the OP humbly came to the hive seeking advice but the thread was seriously hijacked several pages ago by overly critical and judgemental folk with no regard to the additional shame this woman is already feeling.

Sounds great but since it's not happening as much as is necessary, I still don't mind FS tax dollars being used to feed hungry families on a TEMPORARY basis. And I don't mind giving a hand UP through our tax dollars (as opposed to a hand out) either as can be achieved in education and training programs so that they don't have to keep relying on assistance, no matter where it comes from. The system CAN work as long as the waste, fraud and abuse is not tolerated. The OP was concerned about an intrusion in her family's freedom to homeschool should she apply for FS. Some say it's possible this might happen, while others say it won't. IMHO, it doesn't matter because either way, homeschooling or not, she and her husband still need to put food on the table. That takes priority over homeschooling, period. However, I must say that I don't think anyone on this board wants others to go hungry but we need to be compassionate with our thoughts toward anyone in this situation because as a previous poster summed up, "There but for the grace of God go I."

:iagree:

See, this is the problem, though. Time itself will not change a situation but specific actions on the OP's part will. Many, MANY people have 2 yr old twins plus other children yet they do make it. Maybe not as well as others, but they do make it. She and her husband ABSOLUTELY needs to worry about their future because when that time comes, she may not have enough money to "go to work, school, or whatever she decides." She has to be proactive NOW before her situation gets worse. Applying for FS can be a blessing temporarily but it's not designed for a long term fix of four years. Plus, the amount they get monthly is not always that much for what you are sacrificing.

Wanted to answer this earlier but am finally able to. To answer your question, the numbers were skewed to say the least. I was so frustrated in this line of work because I just couldn't agree with the gov't definition of "achieving self-sufficiency." The goal was for clients to "get a job, ANY job" and successes were counted when people would find a job and stay off of welfare for 3 months. That's it! Hardly a measurement for success, IMO, especially since those same families would reapply for assistance shortly thereafter (because they were not able to keep the job) only to become NEW cases. I remember President Clinton talk about the successes of welfare reform. It sickened me, really, because the numbers made him look good, as if his platform and admn significantly reduced the welfare rolls when really, it was number fudging at its best. Same was true when Bush was in office but I was comforted by what seemed to be a stronger push for education and training. I don't know how it all works in the end for every family on welfare but I can say the successes I saw came when education or vo-tech training and employment skills training were offered while receiving assistance. Sadly, there is not enough money in state/federal budgets to provide this for everyone on assistance. Equally sad is that not everyone offered the opportunites would follow through in maintaining their employment. For instance, we had a lot of clients who would receive training and education, find a job, get off assistance, do well for a while, then lose their job because of a variety of reasons either in or out of their control. What I do know is that there is no shame in applying for welfare as long as it is temporary. There's a significant loss of freedom, pride, and self esteem in applying so let it be your last resort if at all possible. My advice to the OP is to look for ways to continue cutting out ALL unnecessary expenses, stick to a strict budget, and look into grant funded or state education and training programs.

Aww, I liked "Disney Dude!" I thought Little Aaron should have left before Tim.

Well said!!!

:iagree:

No...that's just being mean. This applies to your previous replies as well. One of the perks to using the EBT card is that no one can pass judgement on their method of payment, or the reason they are on FS in the first place. Maybe the card is being used but not everything can be paid for with FS. Did you know that a large percentage of enlisted military personnel are on FS? These active duty folk work HARD for their families defending all of US everyday and still need subsidies because their pay is so low. What about the families who foster children and consequently need a little more money to feed the extra mouths to feed? You don't know the circumstances for which these families have to face the shame of applying for FS in the first place. You're entitled to your own opinion but you really are coming across as judgemental and mean spirited.

What you are saying is true but you must also realize it's also a political game...people are more willing to pay taxes to subsidize daycare for someone wanting to work (or look for work) than not at all. This was a huge part of the "welfare to work" legilation from years past. A big part of our jobs as social workers was to help unemployed moms realize transferrable skills they could take with them into the workforce. We stay-at-home moms are way more capable than we think! While it makes sense to stay at home and take care of the child herself, the funding agency's mindset is that daycare can help make her available to take the classes and work with others to help plan her future of self-sufficiency so she won't need to rely on those programs.

Well, I worked both programs in different states but I remember work (or looking for work) was a requirement for both. We had to show 80% compliance in this area in order to show we were helping our clients achieve "self sufficiency" (that's what they called it). We were encouraged to allow the other 20% leeway for life instances such as a nursing infant in the home, illness or injury, anything unexpected, etc. Our cases (in both TANF and FS) were audited so we had to show compliance or justify good cause for making up the 20%. MANY families had children under the age of six...that alone wouldn't prevent someone from being able to use the daycare subsidies that are available to help one work or look for work.

3and3, There are specific programs for which your family might qualify, not just food stamps. For instance, the program I worked with was called Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), and families could qualify for food stamps, financial assistance, day care, employment/education training, and medicaid all at once. There were also disability programs for which your husband might qualify. Have you contacted the office itself to ask about the eligibility requirements for homeschoolers? I'm sure they'll answer your questions about how you could prove attendance. I'm really baffled by the "not having to work if your children are under a certain age" belief expressed in this thread...it just goes against everything I remember as a caseworker. Then again, things might have changed since then. I will say that caseloads are so high that perhaps some caseworkers overlook certain things.