"Manhunts and Bingo Blabs": The Moral Regulation of Ontario Single Mothers

Ontario Mothers' Allowance or Family Benefits was one of the first pillars of welfare state legislation in Canada and helped to lay the groundwork for the state's involvement in the moral scrutiny of the poor. This article illustrates that the moral regulation of the poor, often associated with the Victorian era, continues today through the administration of this policy. Government adminis- trators, neighbours, and other welfare recipients are all encouraged to examine and report on the daily behaviour of poor single mothers.