10 HUMAN SERVICES
Human Support Services
Between now and 2020, two out of three workers entering the labor force will be women, bringing child and elderly care issues to the forefront. Childcare is expensive, generally becoming the fourth largest budget item for families with children.
Family structure is changing, with fewer households headed by married couples and more single parent households. Women and children continue to be the fastest growing segment of the poor.
Welfare reform programs are decreasing the number of recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). Child support is the front line against poverty for many single parent families, yet many children do not receive child support. Limited child support contributes to dependency on TANF, especially for single parent families including those resulting from teenage pregnancy.
Human services needs in Newport News differ only slightly from needs on the State and National levels. Those needs include adequate housing, access to health care, assistance to the elderly, teen pregnancy, prenatal care, chronic disease and substance abuse.
Historically, public human services programs in Virginia have been funded by the State and Federal Government. Because of changing State and Federal rules, local governments now are forced to play larger roles in funding and managing human services programs. The challenge to the locality is how to meet the human needs of its citizens in the most cost-effective way possible.
With limitations on City revenues and an uncertainty as to future Federal and State financial support, the City must exercise prudent judgment in how it allocates funds. By careful planning of public facilities and selective support for private agencies and programs, the City can maximize the services it provides while minimizing the investment cost.