Discusses relation of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) to problems of unwed motherhood. Shows that extension of AFDC to unwed mothers was unintended development and has been demise of residential homes for unwed mothers. Urges renewed attention be given to public support of maternity homes as means of socializing young mothers and…

This report is based upon a 1985-86 survey conducted by the Dull Knife Memorial College Indian Child Welfare Project. A series of workshops were conducted throughout Montana to acquaint providers of services for abused and neglected Indian children with the requirements of and issues associated with the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978.…

Discusses the value of administrative data to child welfare researchers. Considers issues in using client records--confidentiality, selection of data, historical data, sampling reliability, replication of findings, and access to data--that can be resolved in standardized ways. Notes other problematic issues, such as greater distance from subject,…

The centerpiece of the 1988 Family Support Act (FSA) is the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) Act, which directs states to provide a broad range of educational, training, and employment services. FSA offers states an opportunity to design humane and effective programs to assist welfare recipients to move out of poverty. FSA also has…

This paper outlines the elements of the federal welfare reform legislation and the most important child welfare reforms currently being implemented. Some of the common themes of child welfare reforms are identified. The paper also discusses why new child welfare systems should be designed by child welfare and workfare authorities in collaboration…

Welfare reform has shifted control of implementation from federal to state government. For welfare reform to adequately support all families, NAEYC posits 10 recommendations regarding quality programs, adequate funding, equitable choices for families, and data collection to measure the impact of welfare reform on children and child care. The…

Welfare reform is unavoidably related to children. The importance of considering children's well-being when governments change the rules of support for poor families cannot be overestimated. Findings in the welfare reform proposal contained in the "Contract with America," and elsewhere, are deeply disturbing because they seek to: deny…

Federal policy has reduced public responsibility for families receiving AFDC and shifted responsibility for dependent children to their parents. Discusses how fostering parents' obligation to support their children can benefit families. Explores how an awareness of these benefits on the part of workers can improve social work practice. (Author)

Child welfare services would benefit from a radical rethinking of methods of delivery. As matters now stand, stigmatized services are provided for stigmatized groups (specifically, the children of poor and minority ethnic groups). It is useful to differentiate the social provisions relating to children in need into three categories: (1) truly…

Discusses current welfare reform focus on state-level funding for child care, offering implications for early childhood professionals. Notes that with temporary assistance, low-income mothers must move into the work force, resulting in increased reliance on center-based child care. Urges professionals to work with local and state policymakers to…

The upcoming reauthorization of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant is prompting closer scrutiny of how families affected by the law are faring. This research brief examines teen employment in the context of welfare reform, drawing on data from the National Survey of America's Families (NSAF) to describe employment…

This report discusses the impact of federal budget cuts, program restructuring, and rescissions in programs crucial to child survival. It summarizes the changes voted in by House committees, including changes in school meal programs; combining the Child and Adult Care Food Program with the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program; removing…

Arguing that the provision of child care services is consistent with the role of the community college, this paper provides an overview of the current demand for and delivery of child care services and briefly discusses ways in which community colleges can assist in the development and provision of consumer-oriented, high-quality child care.…

Low-income mothers and fathers often share a desire to support their children, but current government policies may pit parents against each other, often to the detriment of their children. This report sets out a shared public policy agenda for newly elected leaders at all levels of U.S. government as part of the Common Ground Project, designed to…

Examines stresses on the early childhood service system due to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. Discusses elimination of Aid to Families with Dependent Children; creation of state block grants, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, and Child Care and Development Fund; and restructuring of the Child…