Abstract
When the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA) was signed it changed welfare from an entitlement program to a service that mandates participation in work or work related activities for a maximum of 60 months. The problem is after the time-limited assistance is exhausted families lose the adult portion of the grant and further lose inclusion from direct work opportunity services. Families go further into poverty with minimal provision for income and work opportunity assistance. The study sampled (N=30) Sacramento County residents who exhausted their lifetimes limits in CalWORKs (e.g., California’s income assistance program). Since California allows for the continued cash assistance of children after lifetime limits for adults has been reached, many respondents continued to received cash welfare and rely on other social services such as food stamps, medical care and reduced housing cost programs. The study found that after 60 months of participation in work opportunity services adult caregivers are still raising families at or below poverty level, working low-wage jobs, need other social services and have trouble meeting the goal of self-sufficiency for their families.