Case Study: Edith Wilson

Case Study

Edith Wilson and her four children are newly enrolled in the TANF and food stamp programs. Sally Haines, a community health nurse, visits with Edith to review her children's eligibility for SCHIP or Medicaid. Edith reports that she receives $539 per month in TANF benefits. She is paying 30% ($159) of her TANF allotment for rent. She is being asked to participate in a welfare-to-work program to improve her chances of employment. Edith reports that she has no one to watch her two preschool children for free during the day. Her neighbor will watch her two youngest children for $200 a month ($50 a week). That leaves her with $200 to see her four children through all other expenses for the month. She receives food stamp assistance, but despite very hard budgeting, she is unable to stretch the food stamps to pay for all her groceries and other subsistence products (soap, food wrap, etc.) for the month. Edith shares with Sally her frustration at the demands of the program. She feels that the program administrators do not understand her predicament and have done nothing to help her with her situation.



What would you do in this situation?