There has long existed a conflict over the role and needs of poor women and children in the field of social welfare. The balance between what clients want and think they need and what policy makers think they need or ought to want is precarious. This article presents a study that gave voice to welfare recipients’ perceptions of their needs and wants as they faced the uncertainties of life during welfare reform. Five focus groups were used to collect qualitative data from 33 women. Seven themes related to women’s roles and desires in this era of welfare reform were generated.
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