Era Of Welfare Reform Research Articles

The Negotiation of Child Care and Employment Demands Among Low‐Income Parents

Low‐income working mothers face significant child care challenges. These challenges are particularly salient in an era of welfare reform, when welfare recipients are under increased pressure to find a job. The current study examines how child care demands are negotiated for an urban sample of low‐income mothers. The sample includes a racially and ethnically diverse group of 57 respondents with and without welfare experience who are mothering children under 13 years of age and working in entry‐level jobs. Findings suggest that respondents seek arrangements that are affordable, convenient, and safe, and informal arrangements may be most compatible with convenience and cost considerations. Informal care is not universally available, however, andmay be less reliable. Implications for child care policy are discussed.

Human Capital, Physical Health, and Mental Health of Welfare Recipients: Co‐occurrence and Correlates

Drawing on a large random sample of welfare recipients in the post–welfare reform era, this article examines the prevalence of mental health disorders, substance dependence, and physical health or disability, their co‐occurrence with human capital problems, and their relation to employment. Half of the participants have none of these potential barriers to employment. Mental health and human capital problems, when present, tend to occur in isolation about half the time. Women with co‐occurring human‐capital, mental‐health, and physical‐health problems have the poorest work outcomes. The findings suggest the need to design and implement more assessment, referrals, and service provision to support women in meeting the challenges in the transition from welfare to work.

The earned income tax credit, supply of labor, and the welfare reform era

The earned income tax credit, supply of labor, and the welfare reform era

The Child and Adult Care Food Program: Diet and Three Health Outcomes in Urban Preschoolers Attending Day Care

LEARNING OUTCOME: to describe seven dietary benefits and selected health outcomes associated with receiving CACFP meals. Positive outcomes of child nutrition programs assume new importance in an era of welfare reform. The purpose of this investigation was to assess the impact of the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) on dietary intake and three health outcomes (weight and height status, dental caries, and number of days of illness) among black urban preschoolers attending day care. Forty 3–5 year old children participated from two day care centers in East Orange, NJ: one which participates in CACFP (group 1) and one where families send the child's meals and snacks from home (group 2). Total daily dietary intake was recorded for one week in fall, 1995 and one week in spring, 1996 by observing and recording participants’ food intake at day care, and by telephone interviews with parents. Weight and height were measured at the day care centers in fall and spring. A licensed dentist examined subjects in the spring. Number of days of absence for each child was collected from day care attendance records and verified as illness with each child's parents. Differences in nutrient intake, food group intake, and the three health outcomes were analyzed using bivariate analysis. Children from the two groups did not differ significantly in gender, maternal education, and number of siblings. A significantly greater number of children from group 1 (CACFP) received other federal food assistance. Children from group 1 had significantly (p <.05) higher intakes of protein (47.7 ± 7.8 vs 42.4 ± 7.6 gm), vitamin A (804 ± 191 vs 590 ± 270 RE), riboflavin (1.45 ± 0.32 vs 1.21 ± 0.21 mg), and calcium (714 ± 180 vs 501 ± 143 mg) than group 2 children. Group 1 consumed significantly (p < .05) more servings (svg) of milk (2.9 ± 0.9 vs 1.5 ± 0.7 svg) and vegetables (1.8 ± 0.5 vs 1.2 ± 0.5 svg) and significantly fewer servings of fats/sweets (4.6 ± 1.3 vs 5.5 ± 1.1 svg) than group 2 children. Weight for age, height for age, weight for height status, and tooth decay scores did not differ between the two groups. Children from group 1 had significantly fewer days of illness (7.6 ± 5.4 vs 11.8 ± 8.3) than children from group 2. These findings suggest that nutritious meals provided by the CACFP can improve diets and health among young urban children.