Why did the NASW support the separation of social services from cash assistance in the 1970s? Has this separation helped or hindered the social welfare profession? The poor? Why or why not?

Public Welfare Programs

In 1933, Harry Hopkins, one of FDR’s top advisors, argued that public welfare should not be a haven for professional social work practice. In the 1960s, the Public Welfare Association asserted that having social workers in public welfare programs would not only improve the life of poor families, but also reduce the number of welfare recipients.

• Why did the NASW support the separation of social services from cash assistance in the 1970s?
• Has this separation helped or hindered the social welfare profession? The poor? Why or why not?

Readings
From the Social Welfare: A History of American Response to Need text:

Read Chapter 7, “War and Prosperity: 1940–1968,” pages 205–250.