ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Wednesday, April 23, 1997              TAG: 9704230052
SECTION: VIRGINIA                 PAGE: C-5  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS

WELFARE MOMS LOSE BENEFITS 1,732 WOMEN FAILED TO COMPLY WITH LAWS

But state says 99.6 percent of welfare mothers keeping tabs on fathers.

Since Virginia's welfare reform law took effect 21 months ago, the state has eliminated or reduced benefits for 1,732 women for failing to help track down the fathers of their children.

But state officials said 99.6 percent of welfare mothers have complied with Virginia's paternity identification rules, which are among the toughest in the nation.

``It's critical to bring in every dollar the child deserves,'' said Scott Oostdyk, deputy secretary for the Department of Health and Human Resources. ``It's fine to know the name of the father, but the ... goal is to locate him and collect child support.''

Virginia's Division of Child Support Enforcement lists 16 categories of information and says women must furnish at least three of them. Categories include a description of the man, the make and model of his car, his date of birth, an address and an employer.

The information must be verifiable and help lead to the father, state officials say.

Legal services lawyers are handling at least nine cases in Northern Virginia of women who were thrown off welfare or had their benefits cut - even though they provided names and at least three pieces of information on their children's fathers.

Although state officials would not discuss specific cases, they said women who have been sanctioned generally have not provided information that led anywhere.

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