Marriage Specialists at Welfare Offices in San Francisco

Marriage Promotion at Welfare Offices
by Kirsten Anderberg

Looking for a new job? As well as a way to "help empower individuals with work and strengthen families," (according to Senator Charles Grassley, R. - Iowa)? Well, then, head on down to your local Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) aka "welfare," office, and apply for the newly created "family and marriage promotion coordinator" position. Bush is seeking $200 million to promote marriage to unwed mothers on welfare, and another $50 million to promote sexual abstinence! The House has already passed welfare legislation mimicking Bush's insane plans for abstinence and marrying off all welfare moms. The Senate is debating it now. Job descriptions for these "Family Life and Marriage Program Specialists" have been sent out to cities across America, including Atlanta, GA; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Seattle, WA; Kansas City, MO; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; and San Francisco,
CA.

The job description for these "marriage promotion counselors" includes duties such as,
"appraise and evaluate State marriage and fatherhood programs" through "reviews, studies and fact-finding activities." The job duties also include the development of surveys, analysis of marriage promotion and fatherhood initiatives, work with senior agency partners, to "assist with the Agency's activities to convene stakeholders (Federal, State and local government officials and community leaders) for workshops and roundtables on healthy marriage education, preparation and enrichment" and my favorite, "to build community-based healthy marriage initiatives in diverse communities." I especially like the way they have couched saying they want to target the minority populations with that last phrasing.

To be qualified to teach about "family life and marriage" at welfare offices, you need a Bachelors' degree in a relevant area of study *OR* "a combination of education and experience that has provided you with knowledge of one or more of the behavioral of social sciences, equivalent to major in a field," *OR* "four years of appropriate experience that demonstrates that you have acquired knowledge of one or more of the behavioral or social sciences that are relevant to the position to be filled." I have *no* idea who is interpreting these last two ways to qualify! The words "experience," "equivalent," "appropriate," and "relevant" are all problematic in this job description regarding qualifications in my opinion.

In addition to the above "qualifications" necessary, you must also meet the following criteria: "You must have one year of specialized experience that has equipped
you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled," " *OR* you must possess a "related master's or equivalent graduate degree, *OR* have "2 full years of related progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree," *OR* have an "LL.B. or J.D., if related." Again, it is frightening to say the necessary qualifications for this position are a law or master's degree *OR* one year of "specialized experience," with "particular knowledge," in "related" work. Who interprets these vague terms? Local welfare offices? The listed contact information for this job description is 1-888-478-4340, and quickquestions [at] psc.gov.

Copyright 2003 Kirsten Anderberg