This report offers strategies to prevent unintended pregnancy in an era when the nation's welfare program has a changed mission, more money, and greater reach. The report discusses types of links between welfare offices and family planning services being developed in California, Georgia, and Washington, identifying barriers and challenges to…

This report reviews the literature on the prevalence, treatment, and consequences of depression in low-income women with an emphasis on the relationship between depression and employment. Recent changes in welfare policy, such as the five-year lifetime limit on assistance and requiring recipients to obtain jobs after two years of continuous…

Using data from a longitudinal sample of former and current welfare recipients in Michigan spanning 1997 through 1999, the Womens Employment Study, this analysis examined how transitions from welfare to work affect parenting behavior and child behavior problems. Researchers used a fixed-effects regression design to control for all time-invariant…

At the time of its enactment, liberal groups passionately denounced the welfare reform legislation, predicting that it would result in substantial increases in poverty, hunger, and other social ills. Contrary to these alarming forecasts, welfare reform has been effective in meeting each of its goals. Data from various sources show that overall…

In 1996, only 30% of poor children who lived apart from their fathers received financial support. That year, welfare reform addressed this hard fact, stepping up efforts to collect child support. However, increased child support alone will not be enough. Further support, economic incentives, and revised child support policies are needed to enable…

This study investigated the effects of housing assistance received by children between the ages of 10 and 16 at some point during the period 1968-1982 on four outcomes experienced in adulthood: (1) welfare receipt between ages 20-27; (2) earnings above poverty between ages 25-27; (3) total earnings between 25-27; and (4) educational attainment at…

This review attempts to consider all publicly available studies that examine employment outcomes for people who have left welfare. Only studies that describe their methodology clearly and report survey response rates of 50% or higher are included, for a total of 11 studies reviewed. These studies cover various geographic areas, labor market…

Noting that a central tenet of the 1996 welfare reform law was that work was the best way to improve the lives of single parents and their children, this fact sheet summarizes research on the impact of parental work on children in families receiving welfare. The fact sheet delineates key research findings from experimental studies of the effects…

Since Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act in 1996, Kansas has dramatically reduced its welfare roles. Noting that achieving self-sufficiency is the real measure of success in combating poverty, this study examines welfare reform efforts in Kansas. To gather information, United Way member agencies and…

A reply to an article in the April 1973 issue of "Commentary" magazine entitled "Black Progress and Liberal Rhetoric" written by two researchers, Ben J. Wattenberg and Richard Scammon; the author employed the same Census Bureau figures and other data used by Wattenberg and Scammon and arrived at opposite conclusions. (Author/JM)

Predicts a bleak future of universal, high-quality, non-discriminatory day care. Excerpted from Child Welfare Leagues's Study of the Expansion of Day Care in the United States: Final Report'' published by the Child Welfare League of America, Inc. in 1972. (DS)

Study assesses impact of job training on individuals and institutions. (Editor)

Despite a tightening job market and a shortage of matching funds by the states, the Work Incentive Program made good progress last year. (BH)

A follow-up was made of the welfare payments received by welfare clients who had received job-finding counseling. At the six-month follow-up, welfare payments had been reduced by about one-half for the Job Club clients vs. 15 percent for the control group. (Author)

Many eligible persons, especially those with the lowest incomes and the greatest need for assistance, are precluded from receiving benefits because of program inaccessibility. The problem of inaccessibility and nonparticipation is examined. Action by policymakers to help solve this problem is called for. (Author)