Aunty,
You make a big jump when you say I agree with drug testing, rather I was trying to provide one of the reasons behind it. I am not sure how I feel about it. I have a problem when I see a parent smoking, then using public funds to feed their child, but.... I still want that child fed. (I had a freind who would smoke, take drugs and drink heavy, and then ask me to buy his kid gifts for christmas because he had no money -showing me what he felt was most important)

Since we are not willing to take a child away, then we do own it to the child to try to provide him or her with at least the basic care.

You claim to have no problem with drug tests to protect the public in other jobs, but in getting a check to raise a child you have a problem. Are they not worth being protected... Again, welfare is not for the adult, but for the child. No one is saying that the recipient is a user, just acknowledging that if they want the check they must prove they are capable of raising a child. I have heard of other programs making parents of aid attend parenting classess. Do you have a problem with that?

I have no problem with that. What I am unsure of how to resolve is that I know the parent will just go off the radar and any chance of helping that child will probably disappear. On the other side, I also know that many serious users just trade away the cards and use the money to further decline. Since the whole purpose of Aid to dependent Children is to provide for the welfare of the child, the best means used to do so should be used. Agian, I am not sure that drug testing accomplishes that, but if it does, then I have no problem for that.