Life After Welfare Reform: Low-Income Single Parent Families, Pre- and Post-TANF.

This study used data from the first and last waves of the 1996 U.S. Census Bureau's Survey of Income and Program Participation to compare the characteristics and wellbeing of low-income, single parent families before and after passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), noting the characteristics and wellbeing of low-income, single parent families headed by females in the post-PRWORA period. Results indicated that while the participation of many low-income single parents in the labor market substantially increased following implementation of welfare reform, millions of families remained in poverty, with their employment concentrated in low-wage occupations and industries (particularly among single mothers). Three years after passage of the PRWORA, although the population of low-income single parents was still predominantly female, there were significant changes in other key characteristics. Specifically, fewer welfare recipients were white, fewer had some college education, and more were concentrated in urban areas. The study concluded that poverty reduction should be the primary purpose of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families. (SM)