Analyzed durability of child-care arrangements, using data from 1983-84 longitudinal survey of welfare mothers conducted in three cities. Findings indicated that family day care arrangements were least durable; however, care in a center was not more durable than care provided by a child's relatives. Only convenience, with respect to location and…

Notes that, although early approach to welfare encouraged women to remain at home and raise their children, emphasis is now on moving adult welfare recipients into labor market. Provides brief historical development of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), along with specific policy recommendations that address the child care needs of…

Examined data from Job Opportunities and Basic Skills program. Found that participants increased their use of substitute child care and of licensed day-care homes/centers, after beginning job readiness activities. Child care was found to be highly variable in terms of convenience and program quality. Problems with child care increased…

Examines challenges Asian children and families face in accessing the child welfare and day care systems and explores challenges to political organizing in terms of attitudes and processes. Some successful interventions in building coalitions to advocate for Asian American children are highlighted. (SLD)

Examined effects on 4- to 6-year-olds of different patterns of mother involvement in child care, self- sufficiency activities, and other services. Found that children of mothers with high involvement in center-based care, education, and job training showed higher cognitive ability than children of mothers with high involvement in only center-based…

Provides important information to better prepare advocates participating in the welfare reform debate. Presents excerpts from reports by the General Accounting Office and the Advisory Committee of the Department of Health and Human Services. Suggests that virtually all of the reform proposals require much more stringent work participation by…

Highlights issues in funding, service availability, child care services, and mandated participation in the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) training program. Suggests full implementation of the Family Support Act of 1988 and the expansion of other income supports for low-income families rather than further development of welfare benefits…

Interviewed 1,343 single mothers in California who received Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) concerning available child day care options and subsidies. Results suggested that efforts to increase target efficiency in public child day care subsidies by narrowly restricting eligibility may be reducing effectiveness on related policy…

A framework is provided for thinking about how welfare reform affects young children with disabilities and their families and strategies are presented for addressing their unique needs. The article documents the relationship between disability and poverty, reviews major changes in the law, and highlights challenges. (Contains references.)…

The need for good child care in the South will increase dramatically when the 1988 Family Support Act (FSA) takes effect. The FSA requires mothers receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children or welfare payments to enroll in the Jobs Opportunities and Basic Skills program and calls for states to pay for child care for mothers in the program.…

Surveyed 207 parents who were using the Transitional Child Care subsidy 6 months after leaving welfare to examine their characteristics and demographics and illustrate the life circumstances they faced. Findings suggest that income, erratic schedules, and ages of children contribute to the complexities parents face in accessing and using child day…

Examined the reasoning and experiences of African American, Anglo, and Latina mothers in selecting child care while meeting welfare-to-work requirements. Critiqued three theoretical positions in light of a structured developmental psychology perspective. Found that mothers' preeminent criterion is that they trust the provider. Concluded that…

Examined predictors of welfare families' participation in early-childhood programs, and development of welfare-family children who were enrolled in early-childhood programs. Found that maternal employment, maternal education, and number of children in the family were predictors of program participation, and that participation was associated with…

Provides an overview of Family Support Act child care programs and highlights the successes and missed opportunities of the programs' first years. Areas discussed include child care for parents in training programs; child care for working parents receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC); the At-Risk Child Care program; and welfare…

Notes that Zaslow study marks an important advance in understanding of child-care-utilization patterns and how center-based programs in low-income communities may influence children's development and school readiness. Asserts that researchers should not become complacent after finding that simply being in a child-care program makes a difference in…