Legislative findings; purpose of act.

A. The legislature finds that: (1) the poverty rate in New Mexico is the highest in the nation and has exceeded more than twenty percent of the population for most of the past twenty-five years; (2) having a job does not provide a guarantee of avoiding poverty as demonstrated by the high percentage of persons in the civilian labor force over sixteen years of age with reported incomes in 1989 that were below the poverty level; and (3) the diversity of the state, with its residents living in rural and metropolitan areas, reservations and border areas, requires the state to adjust state policies governing economic and social programs for the poor and the working poor to reflect the particular needs of particular locales, not just to create a generic one-size-fits-all program. B. The legislature finds that education and training are essential to long-term career development. C. The legislature finds that employment improves the quality of life for parents and children by increasing family income, developing the discipline necessary for self- sufficiency and improving self-esteem, and thus, it is in the public interest to fundamentally alter the state's financial assistance program for needy families with children so both cash and services, including education, job training, child care and transportation provided in accordance with the New Mexico Works Act assist recipients to obtain and keep employment that is sufficient to sustain their families, ensure the dignity of those who receive assistance and strengthen families and families' support for their children. D. The legislature finds that although most New Mexicans want to work, and in fact New Mexico has been cited as a "like to work" state, not all families can move quickly into the labor force and that regular assessments and key intervention and follow-up can help persons connect to the work force to obtain meaningful work and achieve self- sufficiency. E. The legislature further finds that the federal act envisions that state and tribal governments will work together to serve participants residing in Indian country, and it is important that the state and the tribal governments work, government to government, to address the issues of availability and delivery of service to the twenty-two tribes and pueblos. F. The purpose of the New Mexico Works Act is to increase family income through family employment and child support and, by viewing financial assistance as a support service to enable and assist parents to participate in employment rather than as an entitlement, to enable New Mexico to change the culture of the welfare office, both on the part of the department and on the part of the recipients, so that all parties can focus on addressing the barriers to participation in work activities and putting New Mexicans to work.