GENESEE COUNTY, Mich. — Gov. Rick Snyder has called for renewed efforts to reduce truancy, according to MLive. Along with funding for a new internship program and more social workers in Flint, Detroit, Pontiac and Saginaw elementary schools, Gov. Snyder also called for regular school attendance to be required for a household to be eligible to receive temporary cash assistance. Under current state policy, only children 16 to 18 are required to attend school for a household to receive welfare.
"There's nothing that says, if you're 8 years old, you have to go to school," Gov. Snyder told MLive. "How dumb is that?"
Opponents of Gov. Snyder’s previous welfare reforms were concerned with the details, but are tentatively open to the governor’s suggestion, according to MLive.
"It doesn't seem unreasonable to require children to be in school," said Judy Putnam, spokeswoman for the Michigan League for Human Services. "On the other hand, families without resources often struggle with transportation, with trying to work a job and with illnesses. Until we walk in their shoes, we don't know why those kids are missing class."
SOURCE:
MLive.com, “Gov. Rick Snyder aims to stop truancy; cut welfare if children skip school,” March 8, 2012
FURTHER READING:
Michigan Education Report, “Schools crack down on truancy,” Sept. 3, 2008
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