Report What Happens to Families When They Leave Welfare? By Thomas E. MaCurdy, Margaret O’Brien-Strain, Grecia Marrufo Sep 12, 2003 More than 1.4 million people left California's welfare rolls between August 1996 and September 2001. Although this dramatic decline in the caseload in the early years following welfare reform was seen by some as heralding the triumph of the new rules, others saw it as an alarm bell regarding the well-being of former welfare recipients. This report presents the findings of telephone surveys conducted in the late 1990s among one-parent and two parent families approximately 6 months and 12 months after they left welfare. The report presents snapshots of how well these families are doing during each of these periods, describing the families' economic security, use of public assistance, and difficulties encountered in maintaining employment and coping with adverse conditions. In addition to comparing circumstances over time, the report also identifies factors that might predict a return to welfare and other poor outcomes for families.
press release Many Families Rise Above Poverty Line After Leaving Welfare, But Conditions for Others Are Bleak Sep 11, 2003
Report Federal Formula Grants: TANF and Welfare Programs By Tim Ransdell, Shervin Boloorian Dec 15, 2002 This report reviews the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, pending reauthorization issues, and a number of formula-related aspects of federal welfare laws, with a specific focus on California outcomes.
press release Not Married, But Not Single – Surprising Numbers of Unmarried Parents Report Living Together Jul 24, 2001
Report Expensive Children in Poor Families: The Intersection of Childhood Disabilities and Welfare By Marcia K. Meyers, Henry E. Brady, Eva Y. Seto Oct 1, 2000 Although disabilities affect children of all income groups, poor children are far more likely to suffer from them. In this study, Marcia K. Meyers, Henry E. Brady, and Eva Y. Seto provide important new estimates of the private costs and public effects of childhood disabilities among welfare recipients. Based on over 2,000 interviews with household heads in Los Angeles, Alameda, San Joaquin, and San Bernardino Counties, their estimates cover direct expenditures by families and indirect costs due to employment reductions. They also examine participation rates in public assistance programs and estimate the likelihood that families with disabled children will exit these programs to independence. They conclude that public assistance may be an essential part of an income-packaging strategy for many of these families.
press release Surprising Surge In “Child-Only” Cases Slows Decline In California’s Welfare Rolls Jun 22, 2000
press release Increasing The Minimum Wage Doesn’t Benefit California’s Poor And May Even Cost Them, Study Finds Apr 28, 2000