Normandy kids plan "welfare-to-work" plan

Rikkisha Polk (left) and Carissa Oliver

Thirteen-year-old Rikkisha Polk has a harsh view of Missouri's current welfare system. She and nine Normandy Middle School classmates are designing a plan to get people off welfare.

Students in teacher Kim Morton's class will present their "welfare-to-work" plan at a Project Day later this month. Their class is one of several at area schools that are studying how to solve governmental problems.

The Citizen Education Clearing House (CHEH) at University of Missouri-St. Louis sponsors these studies. CHEH wants to help kids understand the process of solving problems of government.

Kids at Normandy Middle decided to work on improving the state's welfare system. Their plan will propose training for welfare adults and help them find real jobs. But, it would require adults to take the training before they can receive their current welfare checks.

In Rikkisha's view, "By just giving away welfare money, the government is promoting teenage pregnancy. Teens are having babies so they can get bigger welfare checks."

Fourteen-year-old Jamie Moody said some people abuse the welfare system "just to get extra money" without working for it. She said those who abuse the system hurt those who have a real need for welfare support.

The kids' plan would require adults on welfare to work at least part-time before they can get a welfare check. The final goal is to help adults prepare for full-time jobs so they can be off welfare permanently.

State Sen. Rita Days talks to kids

Last month, State Sen. Rita Days (Dem., 14th District) came to their class to help them understand how tough it is to make a workable plan.

She said some adults can't hold a job because they have no job skills. She said, "That's because they didn't do what they needed to do when they were in school like you are now."

"They didn't get the education they need and they didn't learn to be self-sufficient," Senator Days said.

She asked questions about what kind of training the students are putting in their plan. The kids listed jobs such as bus driver, security guard, lab technician and child care. The senator asked why computer training wasn't included.

Senator Days urged them also to consider giving general aptitude tests to learn more about what adults might be able to do. She suggested including a follow-up program to make sure adults continue to succeed after they finally do get real jobs.

Jamie Moody said Days offered good suggestions. She said, "We'll put them in."

Thirteen-year-old Carissa Oliver said their plan requires adults to do 20-hours-of work before they can receive a welfare check. "There won't be any free handouts," she said. She added, "People appreciate things better if they have to work for them."

Jamie Moody (left) and Kevon Moore

Fourteen -year-old Kevon Moore is on a team that's writing a plan policy statement. He said, "That's like writing a constitution. It will make sure everything in the plan is legal."

He said, if more adults were off welfare, the state government could use the savings to improve education.

"That way, we can have more classes and kids can get a better education," he said.

Also, Kevon said, the adults gain because they'd "get better jobs and earn better money," .

The kids have their own plans to avoid welfare. The four have career plans.

Rikkisha Polk said she wants to be a clinical pathologist. Asked where she got that idea, she said she meets three times a week in a small group. Each kid has an adult mentor who helps them think of the future, she said.

Carissa Oliver said her favorite class in school is math. She said that will help her in reaching her career goal of being a civil engineer or architect.

Jamie Moody said she initially wanted to be a lawyer. She has changed her mind now. But, she added she might study law in college as a way to prepare for a different career.

Kevon Moore said he's leaning toward a career in construction. Recently, kids in Ms. Morton's class learned about a local program where kids can learn more about construction while they attend high school.

That program does more than teach about construction. Kids also learn social and job skills. That's like the program they are planning to help adults get off welfare.