Despite having higher poverty rates, higher unemployment, and lower educational attainment, rural counties have lower welfare participation rates than urban counties. Analysis of all U.S. counties indicates that population density is a major factor linking to high welfare participation. Contains 30 references. (SV)

Examines the feasibility of "workfare," a key feature of welfare reform. Uses Current Population Survey (1986) and Bureau of Labor Statistics (1988) to estimate the ratio of potential workfare workers to available jobs. Concludes that, at best, this ratio is 6.2:1 in nonmetro areas and 11.0:1 in metro areas. (SV)

Some observers believe that welfare programs have an urban bias; however, the rate of poverty is higher in rural than in urban areas. This study establishes metro and nonmetro differences in the use of welfare and the degree to which it reduces poverty. Data from the U. S. Census Bureau's March 1987 Current Population Survey are analyzed using…

Compares the percent of population participating in three welfare programs in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas throughout the United States in 1980. Examines nonmetro data by county; investigates socioeconomic variables distinguishing high recipiency counties. (LFL)

States where a large proportion of the poor are rural residents or racial/ethnic minorities provided less welfare support per poor child under Aid to Families with Dependent Children than did other states. No corresponding rural or racial/ethnic disadvantage was observed for the Food Stamp program, which has nationwide eligibility criteria and…

The two papers in this document were prepared in response to requests by the Department of Agriculture and the White House staff for briefs on welfare and poverty issues. The first paper, "The Administration's Welfare Reform Proposal: Impact on Rural Areas" by Robert Hoppe, discusses major provisions of (1) the proposed Welfare Reform…

Using five key indicators of nutritional status (dietary intake, biochemical tests for circulating levels of nutrients or their metabolites, anthropometric measures, low birth weight and infant mortality rates, and food, health, and income assistance program participation rates and benefit levels), this 1-year research project identified national,…

This paper examines patterns of change in the number of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients in nonmetropolitan and metropolitan Texas counties, 1980-1990. Specifically, the paper analyzes how changes in AFDC enrollment can be explained by demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and the extent to which factors explaining…

Describes the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Program (JOBS) which creates education, training, and employment opportunities for those who receive Aid to Families with Dependent Children. Questions the effectiveness for rural areas resulting from: (1) limited employment opportunities; (2) characteristics of the eligible rural population; and…

Interviews with 265 low-income women examined demographic factors, maternal and child educational experiences, and social support factors, with a focus on urban-rural differences. The women lived in Kansas, Tennessee, Texas, and Florida, and ranged in age from 16 to 55; 94 percent had children and 80 percent were not currently married. The results…

The study directs attention away from urban poverty to the nation's rural poor and how they are served by five public assistance programs: Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and its Unemployed Fathers Component (AFDC-UF), Supplementary Security Income (SSI), Food Stamps (FS), and General Assistance. The 41% of the nation's poor who…

This Kids Count report examines statewide trends in the well-being of Pennsylvanias children. The statistical portrait is based on trends in 19 indicators of child well being: (1) early prenatal care; (2) low birth weight; (3) infant mortality; (4) child deaths; (5) child violent deaths; (6) births to single mothers under age 20; (7) mothers with…