Katherine B. Oettinger, Chief Children's Bureau Social Security Admin. Dept. of H.E.W. Judge Justine Polier 175 East 64th Street New York, N. Y. Charles E. Schottland, Dean Graduate School for Advanced Studies in Social Welfare Brandeis University Waltham, Mass. Sanford Solender Executive Vice President National Jewish Welfare Board New York, N. Y. Rev. William J. Villaume, Executive Director National Council of Churches of Christ Elizabeth Wickenden Social Welfare Consultant New York, N. Y. Alan W. Wilcox General Counsel Dept. of H.E.W. Helen Witmer, Director Division of Research Children's Bureau Dept. of H.E.W. Dr. Ernest F. Witte, Executive Director Council on Social Work Education New York, N. Y. Corinne H. Wolfe, Chief Division of Technical Training Bureau of Public Assistance Dept. of H.E.W. Council of State Governments. "Report on Federal-State Relations to the Commission on Organization of the Executive Branch of the Government." (Hoover Commission). (S. Doc. 81, 81st Cong., 1st sess.) Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1949. 297 pp. Lindford, Alton A., et al. "An Open Letter to Secretary Ribicoff," December, 1960 Project on Public Services for Families and Children. "Progress Reports Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 4," New York School of Social Work. through May, 1961. No paging, mimeo. Task Force on Health and Social Security, "Health and Social Security U.S. Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, "A Report to the President for Transmittal to the Congress,"" Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1955. 311 pp. U.S. Congress House Committee on Governmental Operations, "FederalState-Local Relations Federal Grants-in-Aid," (H. Rept. No. 2533, 85th Cong., 2d sess.) Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1958. 94 PP. U.S. Congress House Committee on Ways and Means, "Compilation of the Social Security Laws," Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1961. 504 pp. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, "Hospitalization Insurance for OASDI Beneficiaries. Report Submitted to the Committee on Ways and Means by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare," (House Committee print.) Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1959, 117 pp. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. Public Health Service, "Final Report of the Study Group on Mission and Organization of the Public Health Service," U.S. Government Printing Office, 1960. 66 pp. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Social Security Ad;inistration, "Report of the Advisory Council on Public Assistance," (S. Doc. 93, 86th Cong., 2d sess.) Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1960. 137 pp. Appendix B Selected Bibliography contd. U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Social Security U.S. General Accounting Office, "Report on Review of Grants to States for Public Assistance Programs," Washington: U.S. General Accounting Office, January, 1961. 35 pp. Secretary RIBICOFF. My experience as a Congressman, a Governor, and as Secretary convinced me that we must reorient our thinking in welfare. We would be doing a disservice to the whole country and to the relief recipients themselves if we failed to meet our welfare problems head on. We in the Department have been receptive to new ideas from all sources. We wanted discussion, criticism, research, analysis, and suggestions-and all have been forthcoming. Throughout the years there has been ferment and scrutiny among the thousands of Americans who carry responsibilities in this field as public administrators, executives, educators, and social workers. We had an outpouring of ideas. Our final recommendations reflect all of this work. There has been considerable give and take. But we have thoughtfully considered all viewpoints and have worked out solutions which are generally acceptable to all concerned. This process of reappraisal was possibly unprecedented in its scope and depth. It represents not only a great deal of work inside the Department but many conversations with people who know the field, who bear responsibility for spending the taxpayer's welfare dollar in the most helpful and careful way, and who come into contact with the human beings who depend on the program to keep body and soul together. As a result, we have made a series of changes within the Department. These have been discussed with many of you and your colleagues, and I am now submitting them for the record, the administrative changes, Mr. Chairman. (The material referred to above follows:) OFFICE MEMORANDUM, U.S. GOVERNMENT Date: December 6, 1961. To: Mr. W. L. Mitchell, Commissioner of Social Security. From: Abraham Ribicoff. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. Subject: Administrative actions necessary to improve our welfare programs. Revision of our welfare programs has been one of my principal objectives since becoming Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. At my confirmation hearing in January I told the Senate Finance Committee that these programs deserved a fresh, new look, that we would review existing laws and policies carefully during the year and that we would propose significant legislative revisions for consideration by the 2d session of the 87th Congress. I have discussed these matters with Chairman Harry F. Byrd and other members of the Senate Finance Committee and with Chairman Wilbur Mills and other members of the House Ways and Means Committee, and have been encouraged to move forward with this effort. During this year we have sought and received advice and reports from several groups of distinguished individuals. The staff of this Department has carefully evaluated this material and contributed valuable suggestions. What has emerged from this review is a clear recognition of the fact that today in 1961 the outlook of 1935 is not up to date. Born of depression emergencies, the original Federal welfare legislation well met the problems of that time. But the quarter of a century that has passed has taught us many new things. We are not satisfied with our welfare programs, and we know there is much that can be done to improve them. We must move toward two objectives: eliminating whatever abuses have crept into these programs and developing more constructive approaches to get people off assistance and back into useful roles in society. Many revisions will require legislation. These will be presented to the Congress in January. I wish to make several changes in our welfare programs that can be accomplished by administrative action. Some of the patterns of 1935 have got to be overhauled, and the steps we take today can make a substantial start in that direction. In addition to moving more effectively against such problems as locating deserting fathers and fraud, these administrative changes are designed to (1) promote rehabilitation services and develop a family-centered approach; (2) provide children with adequate protection, support, and a maximum opportunity to become responsible citizens; and (3) reshape our administrative structure so it may be more helpful to the States in accomplishing these objectives. These changes will help carry out the purposes of title IV of the Social Security Act (the aid to dependent children program) which specifically include strengthening family life and assuring the proper and efficient administration of State public assistance plans. The steps taken today are the first part of a broad action program for welfare revision. Legislative proposals early next year will carry this effort forward. Let me emphasize that the success of this revision will require close cooperation with State, local, and voluntary welfare groups. I am anxious to work with all those in and out of government who can help move forward this important endeavor. I would like you to proceed immediately to implement the following decisions: 1. More effective location of deserting parents. One problem warranting prompt attention is the large number of welfare cases caused by the desertion of a parent. The number of desertions across State lines is increasing. Efforts must be spurred to locate parents who have deserted their dependent families. These efforts should involve the following course of action by the States: Each State shall establish within its administrative organization for public assistance a special unit responsible for locating deserting parents of children who are applicants or recipients of public assistance. This unit will be separately identified and adequately staffed. It will assist law enforcement officers and others in their efforts to require effective discharge of family responsibilities. The objectives of this special unit will be to reunite families whenever feasible and to obtain financial support. Among the responsibilities which this unit would help perform would be (a) Handling intrastate and interstate inquiries concerning deserting parents, and coordinating and supervising such activities of local public welfare agencies within the State; (b) Reciprocal cooperation with other States in helping to locate deserters, obtain support from parents who live in States other than where their dependents are, and assess ways of restoring broken homes; and (c) Establishing procedures for analyzing all desertion cases to make sure the agency is making every possible effort to locate the deserter. 2. Administrative actions to reduce and control fraud.-Control and prevention of fraud must be a constant objective of welfare administration. Information from administrative reviews and special studies by independent experts all indicate that the proportion of ineligible persons who receive assistance is not more than 1.5 percent. Those who receive it as a result of willful misrepresentation are a small part of that percentage. Nevertheless, effective steps and constant vigilance are necessary by Federal and State agencies both to prevent fraud and to deal effectively with it when it occurs. "Proper and efficient operation" of State plans under titles I, IV, X, and XIV of the Social Security Act requires that provision will be made to assure that assistance by the States is provided only to those who are eligible for it. To this end State and local welfare departments already maintain extensive procedures for investigation and control of improper payments, but improvements can and must be made. Existing administrative requirements should be strengthened by inclusion in the State plan of the following: (a) A definition of fraud in accordance with State law as it relates to receipt of assistance payments; (b) The administrative procedures by which the State will assure that it has proper and efficient methods for identifying, investigating, evaluating |