WHEREAS, on February 8, 2006, President George W. Bush signed budget legislation that extends the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program through 2010 and requires most states to substantially increase the number of parents receiving TANF who have jobs or are in training; and

WHEREAS, forcing individuals into the workforce without the proper career development skills will not break the cycle of poverty; and

WHEREAS, although TANF allows three educational activities - vocational education training, secondary school attendance, and education directly related to employment - to count toward a state's work participation rate, there are limitations: Vocational education training can only count toward a recipient's work requirement for up to 12 months; Education directly related to employment can only count toward the work requirement of an adult high school dropout or teen parent; and No more than 30 percent of recipients counted toward the state's work participation rate may participate in vocational training or be a teen parent in secondary school,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that TANF work requirements be waived to allow individuals to attend a community college or university to develop a career, not just a job; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that TANF regulations allow more flexibility so that participation in mental health and substance abuse programs can count towards meeting the "work participation" requirement.