This report is the sixth and final report in a series designed to help states, local government, and the voluntary sector, as they respond to the social policy debates and changes precipitated by the 104th Congress through its welfare reform efforts. This final report draws on the lessons the project learned from commissioned papers, six…

This book, which is intended to give stakeholders in state and local welfare policies a foundation on which to plan state/local reform efforts, summarizes some of the key findings and lessons from 2 decades of research on policies and programs aimed at increasing the self-sufficiency of low-income individuals and families. Chapters 1 and 2, which…

Noting the while there may be much support for the principle that families on welfare should have access to 2 years of education and training and then be expected to work, this paper contends that it will be extremely difficult, perhaps impossible, to design a coherent and constructive program within the probable federal budget constraints. In…

Using findings of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), this report discusses how people become poor and why they stay that way. The PSID reveals that the requirements for getting out of poverty in the United States are so minimal that it takes a mutually reinforcing cluster of behaviors to remain in poverty, even for blacks and females. The…

To facilitate planning of services to low income, single-parent working women with young children, a client impact study was made of former recipients of Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) in Monroe County, New York. Those surveyed had lost their supplementary income and related benefits due to mandated eligibility constraints in the federal Omnibus…

An analysis of fiscal year 1988 funding levels shows that there will be many cuts in programs for the poor. The programs which will be affected the most are those which pay heating bills for poor households, those which provide emergency food and shelter for the homeless, and those which provide housing assistance for low income elderly and…

This document includes the testimony of 52 witnesses at the subcommittee hearings on work, education, and training opportunities for welfare recipients. Topics covered in the testimony include the following: (1) state differences in welfare services; (2) problems in current welfare policies; (3) programs to address teenage pregnancy and parenting;…

The poverty rate in America has increased during the Reagan Administration. Real welfare benefits have fallen sharply and people with jobs have been disqualified from government assistance. Using lessons from the public and private sectors, legislators are attempting to change the regulations of public assistance and welfare work programs to…

In an effort to analyze the patterns of income and benefit receipt among Michigan Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients, this study examined a sample of cases for 21 different types of welfare and non-welfare income sources. The results showed an interaction among the various income sources and showed they can have an effect…

The number of poor elderly Blacks and the cost of health care are increasing. Even with Medicare there are out of pocket expenses for those who are least able to pay. Since racial bias may be a factor in triage, the best approach to reducing medical costs is prevention. (VM)

Reviews "Losing Ground: American Social Policy, 1950-1980" by Charles Murray. Murray believes federal social welfare programs sap the moral fiber of poor Americans by eliminating a negative incentive for them to work at low paying jobs. Criticizes Murray's position, citing the importance of positive as well as negative incentives for…

This report summarizes the association of welfare sanctions--benefits terminated or reduced for failure to comply with behavioral requirements--with the health and food security of children younger than 3 years of age in 6 large U.S. cities (Baltimore, Boston, Little Rock, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, and Washington, D.C.). Information for the report…

This report examines what factors, besides funding and eligibility, affect whether eligible low-income parents who know they can get a child care subsidy actually use one. Data come from subsidy agency administrators, child care experts and caseworkers, parents, and providers at 17 sites in 12 states in 1999 as part of a case study project. This…

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 presents states with new opportunities and flexibility to design programs for teen parents. This report summarizes how welfare reform has changed the environment for teen parents dependent on welfare. The report presents research findings on the costs of supporting teen…

Many policy proposals related to welfare will have the effect, intended or unintended, of encouraging teens to marry. This paper discusses the implications of teen marriage. Marriage is one route to reducing out-of-wedlock births to teens who become pregnant, but there is reason to believe such marriages are often unstable. A review of the…