Children and Welfare Reform

Résumé du livre

Noting that the mid-1990s are an era of experimentation in welfare initiatives, this publication summarizes 34 research studies on children and welfare reform. Articles include studies of children and parents in poverty, studies of program models likely to have direct implications for children, and outcome evaluations of welfare-to-work programs that show how some of the programs affect children. Studies were chosen if they illuminated at least one of the three major ways welfare reform affects children's growth and development: by affecting family income; by affecting the levels of stress on adults receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children and their parenting styles; or by influencing the access to and the quality of services that children receive. The studies are categorized into seven areas: (1) developmental risks for children in poverty; (2) profiles of adults on AFDC; (3) economic issues for families leaving welfare for work; (4) program strategies and their implications for children; (5) child care; (6) child health; and (7) strategies for families with teenage parents. Implications of each study for public policy makers, educators, community leaders, and advocates are highlighted. (JPB)