While serving in the Maine Legislature for the past four years, I’ve had the privilege of speaking to many neighbors, business owners and community leaders about the issues that matter most to them.

On porch steps and over coffee, through emails and phone calls, I’ve heard their concern every time they’ve asked me why so many Mainers still can’t find good-paying jobs and why educational opportunities are out of reach. I’ve felt their frustration as they’ve shared stories of fraud and abuse in our welfare system while an increasing number of Maine children go to bed hungry and more families slide deeper into poverty.

Maine’s welfare system no longer lifts people out of poverty and back into the middle class as it should. What is the purpose of welfare if it doesn’t help people avoid poverty, get back to work and regain financial independence? We can keep cutting the number of people on public assistance, but look at where these policies have left us. The number of children living in extreme poverty in Maine is up by 50 percent, and for many, jobs that pay a livable wage are hard to come by. Clearly something is broken.

On March 10, I stood with Democratic leaders in another effort to implement real solutions. Our plan, Welfare that Works, proposes to overhaul Maine’s welfare system so that it finally works for everyone in our state. Instead of a one-size-fits-all system that works for no one, Welfare that Works creates customized, strong pathways to work that acknowledge and address the different reasons that people seek help. A battered woman escaping her abuser has different needs than a veteran struggling to find employment.

Welfare that Works takes a balanced approach that uses concrete change to provide meaningful assistance while eliminating opportunities for fraud and abuse. Instead of setting people up to fail by enforcing work requirements without help, Welfare that Works targets appropriate services, helps with job placement and monitors long-term results. If a person still can’t find work, Welfare that Works establishes partnerships with Maine businesses to create transitional jobs and offer training, skills and work experience.

Welfare that Works more effectively targets services to the things families really need. The vast majority of cash assistance that families currently receive goes toward housing. By converting the cash housing benefit into a reimbursement paid directly to landlords, Welfare that Works accomplishes two things at once: It lessens the burden of housing costs while also limiting the risk of inappropriate uses of cash assistance. Our plan would institute safeguards to ensure public dollars are being used only to purchase items that help families get on their feet and on track to independence, like housing and food, and not on things like lottery tickets and alcohol.

And, while our plan restores accountability at the cash register, Welfare that Works does so without punishing or demeaning those Mainers working hard to get back on their feet who are using their assistance appropriately.

Welfare that Works represents a major change from proposals we have considered in the past. For the first time, accountability will apply to both welfare recipients and those administering the benefits. It’s time to create a welfare system that is compassionate and accountable, one that recognizes the advantages that come to all of us when we help our neighbors out of poverty. From day one, Welfare to Work will track how our families and kids are doing and hold the government responsible for a successful, effective use of public funds.

Maine has the tools it needs to build a better safety net. Republicans and Democrats, working across the aisle, have already accomplished so much this session. We’ve put forth serious efforts to fight the drug crisis and successfully released the Land for Maine’s Future bonds. Just last week, by working together, we secured an additional $15 million of education funding as well as tax credits for businesses to spur investment and innovation.

This proposal shouldn’t be any different. It’s time for Welfare that Works.