Oregon Public Broadcasting

More than 5,000 Washington families will lose their welfare benefits starting in February. That's just one of the cuts Governor Chris Gregoire ordered Thursday to keep the state budget from going into the red.

Despite a half billion dollar bailout from the feds, Washington state's budget is still in peril. So Governor Gregoire is getting out the budget shears.

Washington's welfare program – called WorkFirst – is one area where the Democratic governor has ordered deep reductions. That includes enforcing a strict five-year limit on receiving welfare benefits – even for families who are in compliance with welfare rules and actively looking for a job.

Robin Zukoski Zoo-kosk-key with Columbia Legal Services calls that draconian.

Robin Zukoski: "By definition these are the families that are the hardest to work with and the ones who face the most barriers and challenges to entering the world of work and they are the most vulnerable and they are the one who are going to be losing their benefits."

Also under the Governor's cuts, more than 2,000 working families in Washington will lose their child care subsidies starting in October.

Gregoire's social services director calls the cuts "painful," yet "necessary."