TANF - Family Violence Option

Domestic violence affects every one of us. It doesn't matter if we are grandmothers or teenagers, what neighborhood we live in, or what race or class we belong to - domestic violence pervades our society. Women in poverty, though, face hardships and challenges that can exacerbate the trauma domestic violence causes, and can find it even more difficult to escape from abuse.

While women of all economic backgrounds experience domestic violence, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has noted a significant link between poverty and increased incidence of domestic violence. The DOJ reports that in 1992-3, "women with an annual family income of under $10,000 were more likely to report having experienced violence by an intimate than those with incomes over $10,000." Studies have also found that abuse increases the length of time and number of times women return to welfare. Economic dependence itself is an often-cited factor in why women remain in violent homes. Abusers also often harass and injure their victims to the point that they miss work, hindering their job success as well.

In 1996, "welfare reform" made a bad situation even worse, with the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, and with it the threat that welfare benefits would be cut off for those victims who do not make a rapid transition into employment. Twenty-eight states have adopted the Family Violence Option, which allows them to waive or reduce these restrictions for victims of domestic violence, but few parallel service strategies exist to aid these women in their transition.

This link between poverty and domestic violence is an emerging program area at the FVPF, and we are exploring several ways to help women reach financial independence. The FVPF is launching a four-year Economic Independence Project to demonstrate how communities across the United States can develop programs and policies to assist abused women transition successfully into the workforce and achieve economic independence. In collaboration with Cindy Marano, Senior Organizer for Wider Opportunities for Women, the FVPF will partner with a range of experts and advocates representing the broad spectrum of issues that affect abused women's struggle for economic independence. Together, we will work to identify the services and supports that exist, educate caseworkers, assist employers and build on resources that are available.

In addressing the issue of economic independence as it relates to domestic violence in your community, keep in mind that women in abusive relationships or who have recently left one may need a plethora of services tailored to their situations. They may need:

• career counseling, literacy education, skills training and financial support to prepare them for work with higher wages
• personal and legal help in gaining safety
• additional time off work and resources to go to court or relocate
• special services for their children, to help them through the transition.

Economic distress does not cause domestic violence. But there is no question that economic self-sufficiency is a vital key to enable women's freedom from violence. Look for updates in the future on this important emerging program area!

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