In an early result of sweeping welfare...

In an early result of sweeping welfare reforms, at least 500 Ventura County families are receiving reduced welfare checks for failing to follow strict new rules for finding a job, county officials said Wednesday.

Adults who are sanctioned for failing to show up for job interviews, missing appointments or quitting a job for unjustified reasons have been cut from welfare rolls as part of the county’s revamped program, said Human Services Agency Director Barbara Fitzgerald.

Checks to families are reduced on average from $600 to $480 if the adult refuses to work.

“We tried to convince them they would be better off getting a job,” she said. “The main reason that hasn’t worked is that they just don’t want to work with us.”

If social workers cannot find a job for an enrollee within three months, the recipient must sign a contract promising to continue the job search. Those who fail to keep looking lose the adult portion of their monthly payment.

Children will continue to receive aid regardless of their parent’s status because California is among a handful of states that opted to provide this type of safety net, Fitzgerald said.

The strong economy is credited with an overall 50% decrease in the welfare rolls since its peak of more than 10,000 families in March 1995, county officials said.

But county staffers aren’t banking on the low unemployment rate because even those who have spent the last two years looking for a job face losing their aid this summer if they haven’t found work.

“What’s going to be the true test of how effective we are is when we have a recession and when the job market tightens up,” Fitzgerald said. “We are trying to get them employed now and get them some seniority so they can last through a recession.”