ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 6, 1992                   TAG: 9203060152
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: WASHINGTON                                LENGTH: Short

FAMILIES ON WELFARE REACH RECORD LEVEL

A record 13.4 million people were receiving money from the government's Aid to Families with Dependent Children program at the beginning of the year. That is almost 2 million more than when the recession began in mid-1990.

Government figures show participation in the program has increased steadily, from 11.6 million in July 1990 to 13.4 million in December 1991, the most recent month available.

Nationally, the cost to the federal government has risen as the recession has worn on: $13.5 billion in 1991, $15.1 billion estimated for 1992 and $15.5 billion estimated for 1993.

"We're hopeful that the trend of consecutive increases will end soon," said David Boomer, a spokesman for the Administration for Children and Families, the federal agency that oversees the program. - Associated Press 


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