April 19, 2012 -

Dear U.S. Congressman Pete Stark and Co-Sponsors:

Legal Momentum, the Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund, is writing today to thank you for introducing the Women's Option to Raise Kids Act (WORK Act), H.R. 4379. We appreciate your important efforts on behalf of the WORK Act. Legal Momentum has long been critical of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and its negative effect on single-parent families, as detailed in several of its published reports. The WORK Act will promote economic security for parents raising young children by amending the TANF law to allow them the option to stay home to raise their children without losing TANF benefits. Currently, many parents face an unacceptable choice between meeting the current TANF work requirements or providing adequate care for their children. The WORK Act will provide parents with viable options without forcing them to pay financial penalties or sink further into poverty.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth L. Grayer
President