Harry Is a County Department of Social Services Worker Whose

Essay

Harry is a county Department of Social Services worker whose clients consist primarily of poor female-headed families receiving public assistance. During one of his meetings with Dora, a single mother of three small children, she happily reveals that she is babysitting for several neighborhood children. She is thrilled with the extra income and is proud to share her news with Harry. Regulations state that people receiving public assistance must report any additional income they make. Clients' benefits are then decreased proportionately. Reporting Dora's extra income would probably destroy Harry's relationship with her. She would probably never trust or share anything with Harry again. Dora would probably stop babysitting because it would no longer get her ahead. She is barely making ends meet as it is with her meager public assistance payments. Dora already is participating in a compulsory job training program, preparing her for other full-time employment. What good would it do to report this scanty income, despite the fact that regulations require such reporting? Dora hopefully will get a full-time job soon, at which time public assistance payments will no longer be an issue. What should Harry do?