Begun in 1964 to meet rehabilitation needs of disabled family heads receiving aid for dependent children (AFDC), this San Antonio project tested ways of eliminating or reducing vocational handicaps and dependency to the point where AFDC recipients could become gainfully employed and participate more effectively as community members. Normal social…

Federal funding for children's health insurance may significantly reduce the problem of uninsured children in New York and subsequently improve child outcomes. This study evaluated the effectiveness of two program models in educating parents about available sources of health insurance and in increasing enrollment of uninsured children into…

Reviews evolution of workfare programs during the past 25 years. Summarizes both positive and negative outcomes of such programs, and identifies some key issues and unanswered questions resulting from these outcomes. Suggests a more viable direction for welfare reform in the areas of child care responsibility, balance of rights and obligations,…

This article describes the development of a multifaceted evaluation strategy to assess the effects of guaranteed subsidized child care on the subsequent attainment of welfare independence and aggregate welfare expenditures for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). Advantages of a multimethod approach are discussed. (SLD)

A study reviewed how states are serving teen parents in the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) program. Teen parents receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) during a selected month of fiscal year 1992 were randomly sampled in 16 states. A questionnaire collected data from their JOBS and AFDC case workers. Telephone…

Smart Start is a broad-based community initiative to ensure that all of North Carolina's children arrive at school healthy and ready to learn. This study examined the effect of Smart Start on the quality of child care from 1994-1996. Data were collected from child care centers in 12 counties implementing the initiative. Data collectors visited 180…

Child care is a prevalent service need among parents of young children and a major employment option for women. Low compensation for child care teachers/providers contributes to the cycle of poverty because poor women have little access to training, education, and other avenues of career advancement. Mandatory employment for welfare recipients…

Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN), California's welfare reform program, provides education, job services, and support services to welfare recipients to promote self-sufficiency and eliminate welfare dependency. In 1989, a survey was conducted of all California community colleges to gather information on GAIN participants, services, and…

This report presents findings of a three-year evaluation of West Virginia's Community Work Experience Program (CWEP), which requires public service in exchange for welfare payments by able-bodied recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). Overall findings indicate that the state has succeeded in its principal objective:…

Between 1979 and 1983 the noninstitutionalized Medicaid population grew by 210,000 people, or one percent. In comparison, because of a severe economic recession, there was a 37 percent increase in the number of people in poverty during the same period. The Medicaid population growth rate is relatively small for the following reasons: (1) Congress…

Evaluates the first two years of a local welfare reform demonstration, the Family Development Center (FDC), in Baltimore (Maryland). This quasi-experimental study found the FDC successful in programs designed to increase labor market participation and earnings. FDC participants experienced increases in educational aspirations, self-esteem, and…

This study examines parenting in 290 of the 2,322 families studied in the New Chance Demonstration, a national research and demonstration program operated between 1989 and 1992 in 10 states. The demonstration project sought to improve the economic prospects and overall well-being of low-income young mothers (ages 16 to 22) and their children…

This report updates the interim Virginia Employment Services Program (ESP) participation patterns and examines program success in mandating job search participation. Following an introductory chapter, chapter 2 discusses research design, sample, and data sources. (The sample contained 1,287 Work Incentive Program applicants and 1,897 recipients.)…

A non-profit program based in Washington State that promotes access to college for low income groups/welfare recipients is described, along with results of research on the program. The H.O.M.E (Helping Ourselves Means Education) program is designed to help welfare recipients leave the welfare system by entering educational institutions. Additional…

Female headed families with dependent children are the poorest in the nation and the major consumers of Federal assistance programs. The findings of a study undertaken to determine the impact of the current Federal strategy toward the poor upon the low income female headed family are described in this document. The report includes: (1) a…