The Legislature hereby finds and declares that there is an ever-increasing number of persons in this state who, having fulfilled a role as homemaker, find themselves "displaced" in their middle years through divorce, death of spouse or other loss of family income; as a consequence, displaced homemakers are very often without any source of income; they are ineligible for categorical welfare assistance; they are subject to the highest unemployment rate of any sector of the work force; they face continuing discrimination in employment because they are often older and have no recent paid work experience; they are ineligible for unemployment insurance because they have been engaged in unpaid labor in the home; they are ineligible for social security because they are too young, and for many, they will never qualify for social security because they have been divorced from the family wage earner; they have often lost their rights as beneficiaries under employers' pension and health plans through divorce or death of spouse, despite many years of contribution to the family well-being; and they are most often ineligible for Medicaid and are generally unacceptable to private health insurance plans because of their age.

The Legislature further finds and declares that homemakers are an unrecognized part of the work force who make an invaluable contribution to the welfare of the society as a whole.

It is the intention of the Legislature in enacting this chapter to provide the necessary counseling, training, jobs, services and support programs for displaced homemakers so that they may enjoy the independence and economic security vital to a productive life and to improve the welfare of this ever-growing group of citizens.

Added by Laws 1978, c. 94, § 2, eff. July 1, 1978.