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This paper examines immigrant participation in welfare, employment patterns and barriers among immigrant welfare recipients, and opportunities for and limits to enrollment in English as a Second Language (ESL) and other training programs while on welfare. It stems from interviews with public officials, employment service providers, welfare office workers, immigrant and refugee service providers, advocates, and others in Houston, Texas; Los Angeles, California; and New York, New York. It uses case studies conducted for the Urban Institute's Assessing the New Federalism project. It also uses Current Population Survey and 2000 Census data. Despite declining use of welfare nationally, immigrants and limited English speakers still comprise a significant share of people on welfare. Immigrants compose one-third of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) California's and New York's caseload and one-fifth of Texas'. Many immigrants on welfare have significant barriers to work (lower education levels and less work history than natives). Many job training programs have English language requirements that limit access to immigrants with little English. Proposed TANF reforms increasing the number of required hours of work and limiting the types of activities that count as work will make it harder for immigrants to receive language or vocational training. Combining an emphasis on employment with opportunities for developing skills could be an especially effective model for limited English speakers. (Contains 28 references.) (SM)

At the time the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P. L. 104-193) was being debated, some child welfare advocates raised the concern that its effect on families at high risk of involvement in the child welfare system or on families already involved in the child welfare system would be negative. As the debate regarding the re-authorization of this act continues, an assessment needs to be made as to whether the original concern was well-founded. In Ohio, both the public child welfare and the public welfare programs are administered at the county level. A program of research was developed to examine one public child welfare system under conditions of welfare reform in one county, Cuyahoga County, in this state. The program is comprised of four inter-related but separate components: the Policy Study, the Caseload Study, the Cohort Study, and the Interview Study. These consist, in turn, of: an examination of the implementation of welfare reform in the county; an assessment of whether child welfare caseloads increased under conditions of welfare reform; an assessment of how changes in county child welfare caseloads were expressed at the individual level; and a study of the work and welfare experiences, as well as resources and needs, of biological mothers of children in foster care. The research program is non-experimental and, as a result, it cannot be used to show definitively that welfare reform causes any findings that were obtained. It is, by way of contrast, an in-depth case study, that relies on multiple methods, of the child welfare system in one urban county under conditions of welfare reform. This paper summarizes some important findings from this research program to date, in order to make the case that child welfare families have deteriorated under conditions of welfare reform. The number of children referred to foster care in the post-welfare reform period was, on average, higher each month than in in the pre-welfare reform period. In addition, a higher proportion of foster children remained in care 18 months post-placement, after welfare reform than before. Although the higher a child's mother's post-placement income, the faster her child returns home both before and after welfare reform, this effect is greater after welfare reform than before. Finally, although there are no comparable dates for both pre- and post-welfare reform samples of mothers, slightly more than half the mothers with children in foster care after reform were living in "extreme poverty," and many mothers of children in foster care have significant obstacles to employment. (Contains 46 references. (Author/HTH)

This report examines the extent to which welfare reform is changing adolescent behaviors that lead to welfare dependency. It begins by discussing the provisions in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 that require teenagers to stay in school and live with a parent, concluding that relatively little can be learned from looking at individual state programs. Next, it examines previous research in this area. The current study used data from the Current Population Survey March Supplement, which contains detailed information on family characteristics, household composition, and income. The main sample included roughly 74,000 teenage girls from 1989-2001. Data analysis investigated the degree to which welfare reform was responsible for observed changes in dropping out of school, living with parents, and having an out-of-wedlock child. Results indicated that welfare reform strongly related to certain changes in teen outcomes between 1989-2001. It significantly reduced the school dropout rate of low income teenage girls, had little effect on living arrangements (except among young, low income mothers), and reduced the number of never-married girls who had children. (Contains 15 references.) (SM)

This report asserts that welfare reform has been very successful in reducing child poverty. For a quarter-century prior to reform, black child poverty and poverty among single mothers remained virtually constant. Six years after reform, poverty among both groups dropped rapidly, reaching the lowest levels in U.S. history. Welfare rolls have plummeted, employment of single mothers has increased dramatically, and child hunger has declined substantially. In all recessions since the beginning of the war on poverty in the mid-1960s, child poverty has increased sharply, but in the 2001 recession, child poverty did not rise at all. Black children are perhaps the ones enjoying the most success from welfare reform, with 1.2 million black children released from poverty since 1996. While many black children still live in poverty, hundreds of thousands are better off than they were 6 years ago. For every black child whose economic condition has worsened in the past 6 years, six black children have risen out of poverty. The status of black children in extreme poverty varies depending on the measure of income used in the analysis. The report concludes that Congress must strengthen work requirements in the reauthorization of welfare reform by challenging and engaging America's most vulnerable families still in poverty so they can realize their full potential. (Contains 9 footnotes.) (SM)

This brief uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 cohort to profile teen mothers under welfare reform policies. Initially, it assesses the extent to which teen childbearing among 15- to 17-year-old girls has changed between the start of federal welfare reform in 1997 and 2000. Then, it examines changes in teen mothers' living arrangements, school enrollment, and welfare use over the same period. Finally, using post-reform data, it compares the risk taking behavior of all teenage girls, teen mothers, and teen mothers who live with their parents to see whether living with parents is associated with less risky behavior. Results indicate that minor teen mothers are significantly less likely to receive cash welfare since the implementation of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, although there are no statistically significant differences in teen childbearing, residential choice, or school enrollment. Further, teen mothers are more likely to smoke, drink, and use marijuana than other teenage girls. Teen mothers who co-reside with their parents, however, are less likely to use marijuana than teen mothers in other living arrangements. (Contains 14 references.) (SM)

A systems approach to changing labor market performance requires a substantial and enduring commitment to the task of change. A systems reform framework has been developed that is based on a dual-customer approach, with a focus on improving labor market outcomes for both low-income people and their employers. The objective is to change the labor market system so that low-income people find and hold good-paying jobs while employers efficiently find qualified workers to fill vacant jobs. This approach rests upon these four conceptual building blocks: the systemic nature of American labor markets, the drivers of labor market systems, the high-leverage strategies for changing the system's drivers, and a process for starting and sustaining systemic change at the local level. Seven strategies have been identified for changing drivers in labor markets--three that operate mainly on the supply-side of the market (increase public financial resources for upgrading work-related skills; restructure education so that it meets employer and student needs; integrate human services, income supports and workforce development) and four on the demand-side (change workplace practices to support low-income workers; restructure government financial incentives; develop portable credentials; create policy-influencing mechanisms for stakeholders). If labor markets are indeed systems, then the seven strategies provide compelling ways to leverage relatively small changes to big results. (Appendixes include11 references and 4 endnotes.) (YLB)

This brief presents new information on the variations in family structure or living arrangements of poor children, by age and race, and analyzes the implications for current policy decisions. Data from the 1999 NSAF indicate that about half of poor children have two highly involved parents. This is the norm for poor infants but is less likely to be true for older children. Nearly two-thirds of poor infants have two highly involved parents because they are born into married or fragile families. Parents of poor teenagers are more likely than parents of poor young children to be divorced or separated. About half of poor teenagers live with single mothers, and divorced visiting becomes a significant arrangement for maintaining contact with their fathers. More than one-third of poor children are born into fragile families, with visiting the dominant arrangement for father-child contact. At no age are the majority of poor children living with a single mother and uninvolved father. Black children are much less likely than nonblack children to live with both of their natural parents because so few of their parents marry or cohabit. Fragile-visiting families are a uniquely important arrangement by which poor black children have frequent contact with both parents. Parents of older versus younger black children are much less likely to maintain their visiting arrangements. (Contains 15 references.) (SM)

Federal welfare funding through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant gives states flexibility to help low income parents move into employment. However, the law discourages states from allowing welfare recipients to participate in education and training programs. These restrictions are at odds with recent research findings. This paper addresses: "Welfare Recipients, Skills, and Employment"; "Which Welfare-To-Work Strategies Work Best?"; "When Does Education and Training Pay Off?"; and "Implications for Federal, State, and Local TANF Policies." As Congress considers legislation in 2003 to reauthorize TANF, decisions it makes regarding access to education and training may profoundly impact the long-term success of welfare reform. Steps the federal government can take to help increase access to and successful participation in high quality education and training include easing the current restrictions on counting education and training participation toward federal work requirements; allowing sufficient time for welfare recipients to move through adult basic education and job training to obtain occupational certificates; and offering incentives to states to provide support services and work-study positions to low income parents who are students. Steps that state and local governments can take include establishing clear links between basic education, English as a Second Language, and job training; providing intensive services and closely monitoring progress; and establishing training options for those with low skills. (Contains 83 endnotes.) (SM)

This document briefly outlines recent activities of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in the following Strategic Action Areas: (1) National and International Recognition and Advocacy for Community Colleges; (2) Learning and Accountability; (3) Leadership Development; (4) Economic and Workforce Development; (5) Connectedness Across AACC Membership; and (6) International and Intercultural Education. Highlights from Strategic Action Area 1 include the following: (1) AACC has secured reintroduction of legislation in the House of Representatives that would expand the Hope Scholarship tax credit to significantly improve its benefit for community college and needy students; (2) AACC is working with a number of Senate offices in an effort to ensure that legislation to extend the nations welfare law represents an expansion of opportunities for training, rather than adding more limitations, as is the case with the House-backed legislation that AACC opposed; and (3) AACC has drafted legislation with the Association of Schools of the Allied Health Professions to provide scholarships, loans, and other opportunities to allied health students and educational programs. Highlights from Strategic Area 2 include the announcement of a new book from a conference on cybersecurity education and the publication of a research brief on community college health. (NB)

The General Accounting Office (GAO) was asked to determine who is being served by the Food Stamp Employment and Training Program (FSE&T program), what services are being provided through the program, and what is known about the program's outcomes and effectiveness. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) does not collect nationwide data on the number and characteristics of FSE&T program participants. However, program officials in 15 states contacted by GAO described the program's participants as generally hard to employ because they have little education and limited work experience. USDA data show that, in fiscal year 2001, job search accounted for approximately half of all participant activities and work experience whereby participants receive food stamp benefits in exchange for work accounted for approximately 25%. FSE&T program services were being delivered through a variety of local entities such as welfare offices and one stop centers. No nationwide data exist regarding whether the FSE&T program helps participants get jobs. The existing state-level outcome data do not specify whether program outcomes were the result of program participation. The study's authors emphasized that better data are needed to understand whom the program is serving and what it is achieving. (Appendixes present information on program participants' ages, program activities, and program expenditures and allocations.) (MN)

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 poverty, child poverty, and black child poverty have all dropped substantially. Some 2.9 million fewer children live in poverty today than in 1995. Decreases in poverty have been greatest among black children, and hunger among all children has been cut roughly in half. Welfare caseloads have been cut nearly in half, and the explosive growth of out-of-wedlock children has come to a virtual halt. The 1996 welfare reform began necessary changes in the disastrous old welfare system, and the rewards for nonwork in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) system have been substantially reduced. Much remains to be done. In reauthorizing TANF, Congress must make the rebuilding of marriage its top priority. (Contains 31 footnotes.) (SLD)

The challenges faced by low-income parents as they pursued an associate's degree or postsecondary credential and the effects of the comprehensive student services offered by the CalWORKs community college program were examined through focus groups at the following California community colleges: Grossmont College; Sacramento City College; and Santa Monica College. The study included focus groups of 10 to 12 CalWORKs participants at each of the three colleges and focus groups involving five CalWORKs nonparticipants from two of the colleges and one CalWORKs nonparticipant from the third. The focus group participants benefited greatly from the comprehensive services offered by the CalWORKs program and its staff, whom the participants described as knowledgeable and empathetic. The academic, personal, career, and employment-related assistance provided by CalWORKs staff helped many students persist in school, particularly during times of crisis or doubt. Juggling the responsibilities of parenting, school, and work while satisfying county program requirements proved an ongoing challenge for many students. Some of those pressures were eased by the availability of good, stable child care and affordable housing; support from family, peers, and employers; and having clear educational plans. (Eighty-one footnotes are included. Summaries of CalWORKs community college programs and information on the focus group methodology are appended.) (MN)

This study sought to determine why some families live outside the government cash income support system despite extreme poverty. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 95 extremely poor families (cash income below 50 percent of the federal poverty level living without employment income or government cash assistance). The interview sample was drawn from a set of 275 families identified during the 2002 National Survey of America's Families. Among respondents, 64 percent were single parents living alone, and 94 percent were mothers living with their children. The racial and ethnic composition of the sample was fairly balanced across Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics. During the interviews, participants discussed why they were not working or receiving welfare and how they managed without these sources of income. Key findings are as follows: (1) the three top reasons cited for lack of work were poor health, job scarcity, and a desire to stay home to care for children; (2) approximately 4 in 10 parent did not participate in TANF because of program hassles, sanctions, and time limits, and others gave personal reasons for not participating such as pride or a preference for child support in lieu of cash benefits; (3) these families coped by combining in-kind government support (e.g., food stamps), child support, help from family or friends, "side jobs," and charity; (4) families often expressed appreciation for in-kind government supports, but a significant share reported difficulties retaining food stamp certification; (5) remarkably, most respondents expressed positive attitudes about their ability to make ends meet and about their children's well-being. Findings confirm that jobs and a strong safety net are essential for helping very poor families manage. Findings also highlight some weaknesses in basic needs and income support programs that merit state policymakers' immediate attention. Improved access to food stamps and health care, including a better understanding of how these programs work, would boost low-income families' well-being and employment prospects. A less threatening child support system and welfare programs that prevent families from leaving before they are self-sufficient would help to establish a more stable floor of income for families with children. (The study methodology is appended. Contains 10 references.) (HTH)

The dramatic decline in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) caseloads in the 1990s has focused attention on the process of exit from, and, to a lesser extent, entry into, the welfare system. This paper charts the process of turnover in the TANF program in three major U.S. cities over an 18-month, post-PWORA period and documents its income, employment, other-program participation, and demographic correlates. The results show a high rate of turnover and significant increases in employment among all groups--stayers, leavers, and those never on welfare. The findings also indicate that the income gain from leaving welfare is modest, on the order of 11 to 18 percent, for the losses of benefits attendant upon leaving largely cancel out the earnings gains. Because of low benefit reduction rates, staying on welfare and working results in higher income than leaving for many families. Finally, the data suggest that caseload declines may have been as much the result of work and other requirements, and diversion policies, as the financial gain from leaving or entering welfare. A description of the Three-City Study is appended. (Author/SM)

The characteristics, earnings, employment experiences, and material well-being of California welfare recipients after leaving welfare were examined by comparing the postwelfare experiences of groups who exited welfare before and after institution of California's welfare reform program CalWORKs. The first group (pre-CalWORKs group) exited welfare in the 3rd quarter of 1996, and the second group (post-CalWORKs group) exited welfare in the 3rd quarter of 1998. Outcomes were examined for approximately 27,146 adult welfare leavers. The data sources included administrative records and interviews with a random sample of 340 of the post-CalWORKs group. Selected findings were as follows: (1) post-CalWORKs leavers were somewhat more advantaged with respect to pre-exit employment and earnings; (2) women in the post-CalWORKs group were somewhat more successful in finding and keeping work; (3) both groups generally had low earnings and little earnings growth in their first year off cash assistance; (4) overall, rates of post-exit participation in Medi-Cal increased markedly between 1996 and 1998; (5) most welfare leavers did not return to welfare within 1 year of exit; (6) those returning to welfare were less likely to have worked steadily post-exit and more likely to have relied on other government supports. (Twenty-seven tables/figures are included. A survey response analysis is appended. The bibliography lists 25 references.) (MN)

The impact of supplemental assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on CalWORKs leavers was examined in a study of CalWORKs recipients in Los Angeles County, California, who stopped receiving welfare benefits in the third quarter of 1998. Two groups received federal housing assistance at the time of exit from welfare. The first group received housing assistance in the form of public housing or project-based assistance (project-based assistance group), whereas the second group (tenant-based assistance group) received tenant-based Section 8 vouchers and certificates. The third group (unassisted group) did not receive any housing assistance. Data were collected from welfare and wage administrative records and a survey that was completed by 321 individuals. Selected findings were as follows: (1) leavers with tenant-based assistance were somewhat more likely to have the most positive employment-related outcomes; (2) regardless of housing assistance status, most of those who left welfare in the third quarter of 1998 did not return to welfare during the follow-up year; and (3) in postexit interviews, assisted leavers were more likely than unassisted leavers to be living in poverty and report experiences of food insecurity and hunger, whereas unassisted leavers were more likely to indicate housing hardships such as excess rent burden and unmet medical needs. (Seventeen tables/text boxes are included. A survey response analysis is appended. The bibliography lists 28 references.) (MN)

This document is comprised of three Center for Law and Policy articles dealing with reauthorization of funding for the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). The first article compares the U.S. House and Senate bills for reauthorization, asserting that in a broad array of areas, the Senate bill provides states with more flexibility and resources to help parents succeed in the labor force. The article then details 13 important ways in which the Senate bill reflects a better approach to welfare reform than the House bill. The second article examines the slowing trend in states' use of TANF funds since September 2001. The article notes that by the end of FY 2000, states redirected more TANF funds to their child care subsidy programs than were available through the federal Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG). Since September 2001, however, a few states have pulled back TANF funds, and overall, states used slightly less for child care; the trend is likely to continue as the economy has worsened. These two articles contain references in the form of footnotes. The third article is a compilation of overhead slides for a presentation to the Welfare Reform Task Force at the National Conference of State Legislators. The slides pertain to work participation and child care funding issues in TANF reauthorization. In brief, the slides emphasize that rigid and prescriptive work requirements combined with little or no new child care funding will hurt state efforts, and that more flexible and outcome-oriented work provisions, along with increased child care funding comprise a better approach to welfare reform. (HTH)

The overarching mission of the Child Trends organization is to improve the lives of children and families by providing research-based information to inform policies and programs affecting children's lives. This annual report details the organization's accomplishments for the year 2002. The report begins with a letter from the president and the board chair describing how the organization's research both confirms and challenges common perceptions related to children and generates new and surprising knowledge that can inform family life, public policy, and service delivery. The letter also accentuates the need for research on children during times of national uncertainty. Following introductory remarks, the report then presents a sample of recent work directed at: (1) supporting efforts to enhance school readiness, including evaluating South Carolina's First Steps program and providing information on indicators for the First 5 California program; (2) promoting positive youth development, including identifying promising youth development approaches and programs, and monitoring outcomes for participants in local youth programs; (3) advancing the use of indicators to monitor child well-being, including collecting state-level data on children to gauge the success of welfare reform; and (4) informing the public about critical trends and issues affecting children through an online data resource, web site and listserv, print research briefs and special reports, and media outreach. The report concludes with lists of recent Child Trends publications and additional publications with Child Trends authors, and lists of board of directors, executive staff, national advisory board members, major funders, and Child Trends staff. (Contains 14 endnotes.) (KB)

Cooperative extension service faculty at New Mexico State University started the Steps to Employment and Personal Success (STEPS) program to help Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) clients qualify for and maintain full-time employment and strengthen their families for long-term success. Clients are referred to STEPS by New Mexico Works. Approximately 65% of STEPS' clients are Hispanic, and 41% lack a high school diploma or its equivalent. STEPS' goals include improving participants' awareness and knowledge of requirements of the evolving workplace and helping them develop and/or improve their job search skills. Participants also receive training in family management skills, including setting financial goals, budgeting, cutting costs, using credit wisely, reducing debt, and saving and investing. To strengthen families, STEPS includes nutrition education and parenting classes. Through the program, participants also develop a network of social support that links families to community resources. STEPS features a rolling admittance policy and provides several experiential learning activities, including family outings for participants' children and field trips to the local community college. Classes meet 7 hours per day. Since July 1, 2001, 323 TANF recipients have been referred to STEPS. Many former STEPS participants credit the program with giving them direction in their lives, and 24% of them have subsequently enrolled in some type of further education. (MN)

This report analyzes the outcomes of the Running Start Program, part of Washington State's 1990 "Learning by Choice Law," which was designed to expand educational options for high school students. The program allowed high school juniors and seniors to take college-level classes at the state's community and technical colleges and earn credit concurrently in both college and high school. The report finds that the grade point average (GPA) for Running Start students is comparable to two-year college students. The average GPA for Running Start students after transfer to the University of Washington was 3.13. The demographic statistics for Running Start for fall 2001 are as follows: (1) 58% were female; (2) over 18% were ethnic minorities; (3) average credit load was 11-12 credits per quarter, while many students took a 5-credit course and the balance of classes at their high schools; (4) 2% were students with disabilities; (5) 42% of the students worked part time, while 1% worked full time; and (6) 87% of the students were enrolled in academic transfer courses. (NB)

This report provides policymakers with information necessary to demonstrate that postsecondary education is an effective route from poverty to true self-sufficiency and prosperity for low-income women. It discusses the impact of the 1996 Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) statute and the TANF reauthorization bill, the Personal Responsibility, Work and Family Promotion Act. Six sections look at "Introduction: The Current Policy Climate"; "The Impact of TANF Since 1996: Declining College Enrollments and Increasing Poverty"; "Federal Welfare Policy Since 1988: Welfare Reform before TANF"; "The Social and Economic Benefits of Postsecondary Education"; "The Role of Colleges and Universities"; and "State Leadership in TANF Implementation." The paper concludes with a state-by-state summary of postsecondary education provisions (TANF implementation laws and administrative actions). (Contains 53 references.) (SM)

The following were examined: (1) the Department of Transportation's (DOT) efforts to evaluate the Job Access and Reverse Commute (Job Access) program; (2) transportation and related services provided by Job Access; (3) whether the program fosters collaboration between grantees and others in the design, financing, and delivery of those services; and (4) whether Job Access services would be financially sustainable after the end of Job Access funding. Job Access has met its goal of encouraging collaboration among transportation, human services, and other community-based agencies in Job Access design, implementation, and financing. But most of the program's services are not financially sustainable. For instance, only 12 percent of Job Access grantees said they would continue services after program funding ends, while 41 percent said they would terminate or decrease services severely, and 47 percent were undecided. DOT has not evaluated the program and has not reported to Congress as required. (Appendices include: objectives, scope and methodology of study; services of selected job access grantees; and the survey instrument. Seventeen tables are included.) (AJ)

Research was conducted to find out the following: (1) whether welfare recipients with impairments (or their able-bodied parents, if they are children) were as likely to exit Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) as are their counterparts without impairments, and 2) the sources of income reported by leavers with and without impairments. Data derived from the Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation, including interviews relating to disabilities. Forty-four percent of TANF recipients reported having at least one impairment, caring for an impaired child, or both, as compared to only 15 percent of the non-TANF population. Although impairments affect exits, other factors, such as family support, personal motivation, and local TANF policy, may also affect whether recipients exit TANF. After leaving TANF, people with impairments were one-third as likely to be employed than those without impairments and more likely to receive federal supports such as food stamps, and Supplemental Security Income. (There are seven tables and figures. The research scope and methodology and comments from the Department of Health and Human Services are appended. The bibliography lists 21 references.) (AJ)

This paper presents findings from the 2001 Urban Institute Child Welfare Survey, which collected SFY 2000 expenditures. In addition to spending by source and by use, changes in spending between SFY 1998 and SFY 2000 are presented. This survey was designed to identify changes in child welfare spending following states' implementation of the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997 and the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996. Results indicate that the fiscal impacts of welfare reform on child welfare are clear, including a $1.4 billion increase in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) spending. States spent at least $20 billion on child welfare services in SFY 2000; a 20-percent increase from SFY 1998. The federal share of total spending increased. Federal spending was 45 percent of total spending in SFY 1998 and 49 percent in 2000. Spending on adoptions, other services, and administration increased. Reliance on nondedicated federal funds (TANF, Medicaid, and Social Services Block Grant) continues. Welfare reform had clear impacts on child welfare financing during this time period. (Contains 13 references.) (SM)

This paper uses a discrete-time multivariate hazard model and longitudinal data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation to examine how events affect poverty entries and exits and how these events have changed over time--from the pre-welfare reform period to the post-reform period. It also uses monthly state unemployment rate data from the U.S. Department of Labor and quarterly real gross domestic product data from the Department of Commerce. Results find no single path into or out of poverty. Changes in household composition, disability status, and especially labor supply are important events for entering and exiting poverty. A comparison of the 1988-1992 and 1996-1999 time periods shows both similarities and differences. Changes in employment are more important in the recent 1996-1999 time period, after federal welfare reform and during a booming economy, than in the 1988-1992 time period, prior to welfare reform. In addition, shifts from two-adult to female-headed households and vice versa, measured while controlling for shifts in employment, became less important in poverty transitions over this time period. (SM)

The most striking characteristic of the human service system in Montgomery County, Ohio, is the size and scope of its job center. The center occupies 5.5 acres of office space, has ample parking, is well served by the public transportation system, and is the locus of many human service and employment programs and service providers. The county's strategy is to boost the local workforce's earnings, enhance local employers' competitiveness, and increase the region's economic prosperity. In addition to the economic benefits of the county's integrated service delivery approach, locating all human services in a single location reduces the stigma associated with welfare programs because all residents in need of services go to the same location. Other initiatives that have contributed to the success of the county's efforts to change the face of welfare through integrated service delivery are as follows: (1) community collaboratives (a community-based collaborative program that complements the programs and services available at the job center by providing neighborhood-based supportive services); (2) changing client processes through the development of integrated service teams; (3) a shared philosophy emphasizing a positive, proactive approach to interactions between staff and clients; and (4) a single county agency responsible for multiple programs. (A list of the Montgomery County's job center agencies and its programs is attached.) (MN)

This supplementary analysis to "Declining Share of Children Lived with Single Mothers in the Late 1990s" employs an alternative methodology to provide a clearer picture of changes in living arrangements within different income groups. The original study concluded that children were significantly less likely to live with single mothers in 2000 than 1995 and more likely to live with cohabiting mothers; the trend away from living with married parents had stopped; the proportion of lower-income children living with single mothers declined and with cohabiting mothers increased; and the proportion of higher-income children living with married parents decreased. These results understate changes in living arrangements in the late 1990s because of the methodology used for comparing living arrangements across income. This study methodology defines the lower-income group as the bottom 39 percent of children, and the higher-income group as the top 61 percent of children, by income. Results suggest that during 1995-2000, there was a larger decline in the percentage of lower-income children living with single mothers; an increase in the percentage of lower-income children living with married parents; and no change in the percentage of higher-income children living with married parents. The trend away from single mothers was evident among all racial groups, primarily among lower-income populations. (SM)

This report details the current American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) projects, publications, and legislative activities. The report outlines six strategic action areas: (1) National and International Recognition and Advocacy for Community Colleges; (2) Learning and Accountability; (3) Leadership Development; (4) Economic and Workforce Development; (5) Connectedness across AACC Membership; and (6) International and Intercultural Education. Highlights of Area 1 include the intensive activities regarding the AACC Task Force on the Higher Education Act, and the production of several books focused on AACC priorities to be published by Community College Press. Highlights of Area 2 include the Lumina Foundation's $305,200 grant to AACC for examination of issues regarding access to baccalaureate education for community college students, and AACC's publication of "A Practical Guide for Integrating Civic Responsibility into the Curriculum." Highlights of Area 3 include the posting of the Leadership Task Force report, Leadership 2020, on the AACC Web site, and an update of the Contract and Compensation survey, which has had over 500 responses. Area 4 reports on the Nursing/Allied Health Initiative and college credentialing and skills certification practices developments. Area 5 addresses membership concerns, and Area 6 reports on issues such as the pursuit of partnerships with the Peace Corps and the publication of the International Student Study Guide. (NB)

This study explored the mechanics of using an enhanced, comprehensive multipurpose logic model, the Performance Blueprint, as a means of building evaluation capacity, referred to in this paper as performance measurement literacy, to facilitate the attainment of both service-delivery oriented and community-oriented outcomes. The application of this approach is illustrated in a short case study. By performance measurement literacy is meant the capacity of individuals and institutions to obtain, interpret, and understand performance measurement information and the competence to use such information to benefit clients, service delivery, and the community (P. Long, 2002). In the Performance Blueprint, the expanded logic model used by the Appalachian Partnership for Welfare Reform (APWR), the approach revolves around a representational depiction of an initiative's intended logic, or how inputs are expected to produce outcomes. The Blueprint makes distinctions between effort and effect and between output and outcome. The case study shows the application of the Performance Blueprint to enhance performance measurement literacy in the provision of training and technical assistance to APWR partners working to meet the needs of county-level agencies. One appendix defines andoperationalizes performance measurement literacy, and the other summarizes questions and considerations related to the four quadrants defined by M. A. Friedman (1997). (Contains 22 references.) (SLD)

The 1996 welfare reform act forced many poor parents into the labor market, with little understanding of how the parents' workforce participation would affect family life in general and their children in particular. In this paper, researchers examine the relationship between parental workforce participation, welfare receipt, and children's academic outcomes for a random sample of welfare mothers and their children. The findings show that children whose parents transitioned from not working in Wave 1 to working in Wave 2 were significantly more likely to be achieving academically--receiving As and Bs--at Wave 2. Parental employment at Wave 2 was not found to be a positive factor in all cases, however. Researchers found that children whose parents were employed in both waves were significantly less likely to receive As and Bs at Wave 2 than were children whose parents transitioned from not working to working. Researchers also found that receiving welfare during Wave 2 had a positive relationship with receiving As and Bs at Wave 2, which suggests that welfare payments may be a protective factor for families. The researchers argue that parental employment may be beneficial for children's academic achievement, particularly if families are able to continue receiving welfare benefits. (Contains 23 references.) (SM)

The erosion of marriage has caused enormous difficulties for children, parents, and society. Compared to children born within marriage, those born outside of marriage are overwhelmingly more likely to live in poverty, depend on welfare, and have behavior problems. They also may suffer depression and physical abuse, fail in school, abuse drugs, and end up in jail. In response, the 1996 welfare reform law set a national goal to help increase and strengthen two-parent families, offering programs to teach relationship skills to unmarried couples at time of pregnancy and marriage skills to low-income married couples. Evidence from 29 peer-reviewed social science journal articles indicated that marriage education, training, and counseling programs significantly strengthened marriage. Results show that the average couple participating in a marriage enhancement program is better off than more than two-thirds of nonparticipating couples, making advances in communication skills, marital satisfaction, and other relationship qualities. Premarital inventory questionnaires and counseling appear effective in preventing marital distress. Results indicate that marriage programs are effective and can help marriages thrive when couples, irrespective of socioeconomic class, learn the skills to make their relationship work. An appendix presents information on understanding effect size and meta-analysis. (Contains 29 references.) (SM)

This paper examines the need to ensure fair treatment in matters relating to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant. The 2002 reauthorization included many key priorities for Latino families, most especially by extending a hand to hardworking immigrants who become unemployed. The paper highlights key civil rights issues, calling on lawmakers to promote equal opportunities for Latino families and help them leave the welfare rolls and get good jobs. Several studies have shown patterns of discrimination against minority TANF recipients. Discriminatory practices limiting Latino families' access to services, work supports, and training programs have arguably contributed to disparate outcomes for families on TANF by race and ethnicity. Evidence points to the need for effective reforms to the TANF program which will protect the rights of all families and ensure that Hispanic mothers have equal opportunities to move off TANF rolls, into stable employment, and out of poverty. A broad coalition of civil rights organizations believes that several strategies will help ensure fair, nondiscriminatory treatment (increased accountability, proper training for TANF personnel, enhanced data collection, modified state plans, and overcoming of language barriers). (SM)