Needs of people and programming goals in the public welfare agency.

Abstract

If public welfare is to attain its goals of economic rehabilitation, protection of the aged and of children, and prevention of social dependency, external relationships of the agency must be considered by the administrator. Often he has conducted his affairs as if the agency were accountable only to the law and not to the community, whose will is expressed in that law. Since community expectations are based on information--or the lack of it--the problems, programs, and objectives of public welfare must be discussed with various community groups. Effective interpreters can be staff members, volunteers, and work and training program participants, who, in effect, represent all welfare clients and the agency itself. Perhaps only one-sixth or one-seventh of the low-income families are in the welfare program at any given time, and the others are potential recipients with whom programming should be concerned. There must be decentralization of programs so they are available to those who need them. (RUTH ALTIS ARNOLD)