Food stamps, child services fuel Michigan budget plan

From the Associated Press:

LANSING — Gov. Jennifer Granholm's latest budget proposal would hire hundreds of caseworkers to deal with rising demand for food stamps and to boost child welfare services in Michigan.

It won't be easy to find the extra money needed to hire the workers given the state's budget problems. The state must hire more child welfare workers as the result of a federal lawsuit.

Lawmakers on Thursday began hearings on the proposed Department of Human Services budget. Granholm's proposal would increase DHS spending by more than $100 million from the state's general fund for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1.

The department's overall proposed budget of $7 billion is paid for mostly with federal money that covers a portion of welfare payments to children and families and other costs.

Understaffed Department of Human Service offices our a common theme across the state of Michigan. The situation has become so desperate in some areas, that leaders are searching for ways to prevent violence from occurring on behalf of frustrated workers at these offices. Hiring additional staff would be a beneficial way to support our needy population and delivery services more efficiently. The quicker we can send services to these people, the quicker they can stabilize their lives and actually depend less on others to support them.

See the full article:

http://www.mlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/02/food_stamps_child_services_fue.html