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THE CHICAGO GOSSIP
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THE CHICAGO GOSSIP
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Outraged Kathy PosnerWhen I was growing up, my parents told me that if I cleaned my room I would get a dollar. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a conditional cash transfer. Fancy term, right? I received the money on a conditional basis. I had to perform an act—a contract of sorts. Recently I learned, because of a program in New York, a Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) means something entirely different in the world of poverty.
CCT programs were created to make welfare payments conditional. The receiver had to perform certain tasks that the rest of us consider to be a normal part of our lives, like enrolling children in schools, getting regular check-ups at the doctor's office, receiving vaccinations, and going to the dentist. CCT programs are used around the world.
They were first introduced in the United States in 2007 when New York City Mayor Bloomberg decided to try it out through a three-year test of a privately funded program (the Rockefeller Foundation played a huge role in convincing him to get involved) called Opportunity NYC.
In the first two years of the program, $14 million was paid to 2,400 families, BUT $20 million was spent for program operating costs and evaluating whether the program worked! Another example of bureaucracy gone wild -- operating costs were more than what the program gave away.
Evaluations showed that the program did NOT work in the category those city officials most cared about, changes in the educational outcome of the children. While the program ended last year, final results are not due until 2014, which means that the time to evaluate the program is lasting longer than the program itself. What’s more, it costs more than the program.
You would think that with these poor results, New York would stay away from CTCs… but you would be wrong. In August, a new three-year cash-rewards program was started with $23 million in federal funds, half going to 600 new families in The Bronx. This time, the program will be administered by the company MRDC (formerly known as Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation.)
Why I am writing about this? Three Reasons:
(1) I am totally outraged by the concept of a program that pays parents to perform the everyday functions of life.
(2) Federal funds are being used in New York for the program. It costs taxpayers everywhere in the nation.
(2) I wanted my blog readers to be educated about this travesty, just in case the Emanuel Administration started touting the program for Chicago.
Knowledge is power. Consider yourself empowered.
CCT programs were created to make welfare payments conditional. The receiver had to perform certain tasks that the rest of us consider to be a normal part of our lives, like enrolling children in schools, getting regular check-ups at the doctor's office, receiving vaccinations, and going to the dentist. CCT programs are used around the world.
They were first introduced in the United States in 2007 when New York City Mayor Bloomberg decided to try it out through a three-year test of a privately funded program (the Rockefeller Foundation played a huge role in convincing him to get involved) called Opportunity NYC.
In the first two years of the program, $14 million was paid to 2,400 families, BUT $20 million was spent for program operating costs and evaluating whether the program worked! Another example of bureaucracy gone wild -- operating costs were more than what the program gave away.
Evaluations showed that the program did NOT work in the category those city officials most cared about, changes in the educational outcome of the children. While the program ended last year, final results are not due until 2014, which means that the time to evaluate the program is lasting longer than the program itself. What’s more, it costs more than the program.
You would think that with these poor results, New York would stay away from CTCs… but you would be wrong. In August, a new three-year cash-rewards program was started with $23 million in federal funds, half going to 600 new families in The Bronx. This time, the program will be administered by the company MRDC (formerly known as Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation.)
Why I am writing about this? Three Reasons:
(1) I am totally outraged by the concept of a program that pays parents to perform the everyday functions of life.
(2) Federal funds are being used in New York for the program. It costs taxpayers everywhere in the nation.
(2) I wanted my blog readers to be educated about this travesty, just in case the Emanuel Administration started touting the program for Chicago.
Knowledge is power. Consider yourself empowered.
Editors Note: Hey Posner, I go to the Doctor, I get a Flu shot and and I have a dental appointment next month. How can I get my check? Will you be sending it?
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