Research on Welfare Leavers
Most states have commissioned welfare leaver reports or have been the subject of leaver studies with their cooperation. Find a welfare leaver study for your state and read it. (Google)Post on your Learning Journal and be prepared to discuss in class.
Answer the following questions about the report that you found:
Write a synopsis of the study’s findings.
What is your assessment of the quality of the study and the independence of the researchers.
What should we conclude about the success or failure of welfare reform in that state?
FYI – one or two sentence responses are not acceptable.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Welfare Leaver Study for New York State- MCcall, C. (2000). Staff Analysis of New York State’s Welfare Evaluation Report-MCcall, C. (2000). Staff Ana
ReplyDeleteIn July 1999, The Rockefeller Institute of Government (RIG), The New York State Offi e of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), and Department of Labor (DOL), released a report entitled " After Welfare: A Study of Work and Benefit Use After Case Closing", which was baout families that left TANF. The studies findings are as follows: 83% of the 8,983 families that met the studeis criteria and left the welfare rolls in 1997 were not on welfare one year after closing. Between 71 and 75 percent of the sample found employment at some time during the one year study period, with the statewide average bieng 66%.
My assessment of the quality of study and about the researches is that it is a bit unreliable because the state failed to disclose that 3,300 families that left the welfare rolls, came back into the rolls about 2 months later. The fact that 27% of the caseload returned to the rolls within 2 months sends a red flag about the underlying administration of the State's Welfare Program.
Based on the study we can conclude that only 21 % of the caseload returned to welfar ewithin one year of leaving the rolls. This could be due to the fact that they found employment during the four quarter period and showed continous employment in all four quarters.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteResearch on Welfare Leavers
ReplyDelete* The Welfare Leavers report that I covered was on the state of Georgia. I choose to base my findings on an article that I found entitled "Life After Welfare: Report of the Georgia Welfare Leavers Study".
"Funded by the Department of Human Resources, the Georgia State welfare leavers study tracked families as they left Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF). Using administrative data combined with the results of a telephone survey, the project monitored the impact of leaving welfare on the individuals and their families. The study includes both single-parent and child-only leavers as well as individuals who have returned to the rolls" http://aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/leavers99/state-rpts/ga/statereport_law.pdf.
Welfare has a huge impact in many individuals lives. For many, the use of Welfare is deeply needed and greatly appreciated. While doing research on the topic most respondents had similar characteristics. Most leavers are single women and have finished high school. Most respondents were African-American and the majority lived in an urban or suburban area. Respondents had been on assistance for a year or longer. Most of the respondents (73%) reported leaving TANF for employment reasons. Some respondents were confused about welfare reform, which might have contributed to the closing of their cases.
Most levers were working, however, of those working, many were working full time hours but still making a small salary. This seemed to be the norm for many of the respondents. Although many of the women in the study were mothers, child support payments were not enough to sustain their lifestyles. Although some were able to get off welfare, many still remain using other programs provided by the government. Those who are using these other programs worry about food, but most are able to make ends meet. The study found that better educated leavers tend to do better than those without a high school diploma or GED. Education levels also impact the children living in the home. Lastly, there are enormous differences between single-parent and child-only cases.
The article, Frequently Asked Questions About Working Welfare Leavers, which can be found in the Social Work 445 handbook for required readings, does an excellent job of reporting statistical data on welfare leavers in the state of North Carolina, amongst other states. It reports information about the welfare leavers who are employed after they have stopped receiving cash assistance. This article answers many of the frequently asked questions about welfare leavers' employment and economic statuses, by state.
ReplyDeleteIn an administrative and survey study of welfare leavers employed in North Carolina, 43.1% work in service positions, 31.3% work in retail trade, and 13.1% work in manufacturing. In North Carolina, an administrative study shows that 50.3% of welfare leavers, who were employed at some point during the first four quarters after exit, continued employment in all four quarters. In a survey study, 85.9% of leavers in North Carolina counties work 30+ hours per week, while 57.8% work 40+ hours per week. In an administrative study, it was found that the median quarterly earnings for welfare leavers in North Carolina in the first quarter after exit was $1,,995. As found in a survey study of leavers in North Carolina counties, the median wage is $7.25 per hour. The percentage of leavers earning less than $7.00 per hour was reported at 38.7%. In an administrative study of leavers in North Carolina, the average 1st quarter earnings is $1,995; and the average 4th quarter earnings is $2,024. This constitutes a change of 1% from 1st quarter to 4th quarter, which is equivalent to $29. In another survey study, it was reported that 70.6% of leavers in North Carolina counties have employers who offer health plans, yet only 24.9% reported being enrolled in their employer's plan. 65.2% of leavers in North Carolina counties receive Medicaid that includes children or other family members. In yet another survey study of employed leavers in North Carolina counties, 55.1% work some or most weekends (non-traditional hours). Another 25.9% reported working evening, night, and/or morning. In a final survey study of leavers in North Carolina counties, 30.8% reported experiencing "food insecurity (with hunger)-defined as not enough money to buy food." 22.9% of leavers moved because they could not pay for housing.
In my professional opinion, this study displayed great quality. The methodology was very descriptive, as where the descriptions of the individual studies. The researchers discussed other studies when it was necessary or fitting. The researchers seemed to have worked independently enough without taking away the reliability of the study.
We should conclude that welfare reform in North Carolina was in some ways successful. Many of the leavers were able to find employment; however, too many of them experience food and housing insecurity. Maybe, more can be done to assist those who are trying to work.
Im doing California!
ReplyDeleteThis is in my blog, it was too much to post on here. Thanks
ReplyDeleteAnswer the following questions about the report that you found:
ReplyDelete1.Write a synopsis of the study’s findings.
The study I chose to research for the state of Alabama stated that about half the women who leave welfare are not on Medicaid or other state health insurance in the first six months after leaving and one-third have no health insurance at all. Of the children whose families leave welfare, almost three quarters are still on Medicaid and only one-fifth lack health insurance six months later. There were 1,004 women who stopped receiving welfare benefits between January 1995 and the date on which they were interviewed and were not receiving welfare benefits. These women represent almost 1.4 million welfare leavers nationwide.
2.What is your assessment of the quality of the study and the independence of the researchers.
The main point of this research was to show that the government and welfare reform is not helping those who do actually find a way to be financially stable. Once they are off welfare they are are on their own to pay for health insurance for themselves or their family. Most of the jobs that welfare leavers find do not have benefits and this is not good when providing for a family. I do not think the government is doing what they said as far as helping welfare leavers with medicaid or health insurance.
3.What should we conclude about the success or failure of welfare reform in that state?
Health insurance for children are stable but not for their parents. Their parents are not covered and are not insured if something happens to them preventing them to work. True it is encouraged to use welfare only as long as needed but it seems that it would be more beneficial to remain on welfare because one knows that they are covered and they do not have to do much for it.
Garrett, Bowen; Holahan, John. Welfare Leavers, Medicaid Coverage, and Provate Health Insurance. 2000. pgs 175-184.
1.Write a synopsis of the study’s findings.
ReplyDeleteThe state that I chose to do was Texas. Most Texas families who leave welfare remain in or near poverty and many are likely to return to the welfare rolls in the future, say University of Texas at Austin researchers. For a new book, "Life After Welfare: Reform and the Persistence of Poverty," Laura Lein and Deanna Schexnayder followed 179 families who left welfare after the welfare reform act of 1996 was signed into law.
"We examine the ways in which the effort to 'end welfare as we know it' has played out in the lives of impoverished families in Texas who draw on welfare support," said Lein, a professor in the School of Social Work and Department of Anthropology. President Bill Clinton signed a welfare law in 1996, and President George W. Bush reauthorized the bill with more stringent requirements for welfare recipients in 2006.
Lein and Schexnayder, a research scientist and associate director of the Ray Marshall Center in the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, found the families experienced barriers to employment, confronted poverty even when employed and faced a failing safety net of basic human services as they attempted to sustain low-wage jobs.
"Have these reforms—ending entitlements and moving towards time limits and work requirement—lifted Texas families once living on welfare out of poverty or merely stricken their names from the administrative rolls?" they ask.
"If the goal of welfare reform was to reduce the welfare rolls, it was undeniably successful—at least in the short term," the authors said. "But if the goal was to reduce poverty and increase the well-being and stability of families previously on welfare, the results are far more complicated and disturbing."
Texas, with its early experiments with welfare reform and a relatively limited welfare program to begin with, is an important arena in which to study the aftermath of welfare reform, said Lein and Schexnayder, adding that federal lawmakers later increased the severity of welfare reform even more.
"Through the experiences of Texas welfare leavers, we can examine the potential outcomes of similar policy initiatives in other states as budgetary constraints continue to affect welfare policies," the researchers said.
3.What should we conclude about the success or failure of welfare reform in that state?
I think that we should conclude that the welfare system in the state of Texas is much more worser than it was before the plan for reform was introduced on the legislative floor.
Summary
ReplyDeleteIn the wake of welfare reform, thousands of low-income single mothers have transitioned into the labor market. This paper examines how the work conditions of mothers leaving welfare for employment are associated with the emotional well-being of 372 children ages 5 to 15. We examine the cumulative incidence, over a five-year period, of maternal non - “family - friendly” work conditions including long work hours, erratic work schedules, non-day shifts, and lengthy commute times in association with children’s internalizing and externalizing behavior problems and levels of positive behavior. We find that mothers’ lengthy commute times are associated with higher levels of internalizing problem behaviors and lower levels of positive behaviors.
My Assessment
This paper examined the associations between maternal working conditions and child well-being across a five-year period among families leaving welfare. In recent years, increasing numbers of mothers have left welfare and entered low-wage jobs that often require them to work long, non-standard, or irregular hours, and to commute far from home. However, to our knowledge, no other study has related this range of job characteristics to child well-being. Among the four different types of job conditions we examined, mothers’ having a lengthy commute was associated with increases children’s internalizing behavior problems and decreases in children’s positive behavior. These results were found despite a stringent research design that used lagged dependent variables and an unusually wide set of control variables representing important aspects of maternal mental health, experiences and behaviors. I think this study is a good guiding tool. I also like how the study recognizes that there is another problem in society by working mothers.
What should we conclude about the success or failure of welfare reform in that state?
I think we can conclude that the welfare reform in Michigan is a definite work in progress. It has has some positive conclusions and is helping families maintain stability in the homes. I think it was overall a success.
Dunifon, R., PH.D. (2005). Maternal Working Conditions and Child Well-Being in Welfare-leaving Families. Department of Policy Analysis and Management, 3-12-14-28.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWrite a synopsis of the study’s findings.
ReplyDelete“According to Forrister when welfare reform was implemented, there were 26,000 women
and 17 men on welfare in Alabama. Child-only cases comprised 30% of the caseload and
the state had very low level benefits of $118 per month. Citizens Arise tested the political
climate and political will by successfully lobbying the legislature to raise the monthly
base benefit, to $124 per month on the first round, and a second round of lobbying
yielded the current monthly benefit of $164. Despite demand in some quarters for family
caps, the state imposed none. Instead, an additional $29 per month is allowed when a
family has another child. Forrister noted that, among counties, the state's highest current welfare participation rate (3% of the population) occurs in Hale County. Citizens Arise has surveyed welfare recipients several times since 1996 to determine what supports residents need to join the work force successfully. The responses were actual jobs, child care, transportation (cited as a major need each time), and health care. Only one-third of state welfare recipients receive housing subsidies. Today 10,000 adults are on welfare, with 3,000 of them facing time limits. There are also 10,000 child only cases, about 50% of the state’s caseload. Forrister observed that at $164 per month, Alabama offers the lowest welfare benefits in the country.” (Gill, Leona. (2000, July 24). Grantmakers income security taskforce (gist). Retrieved from http://www.nfg.org/rural/alcase.pdf)
What is your assessment of the quality of the study and the independence of the researchers.
The assistance for Alabama is low and even with a push for more funds, the government did not deliver. With low assistance and time limit, this pushes people to get off of welfare and strive for their own jobs to take care of their families. However, people who remain on welfare are unable to provide for their familiy because it is not enough for assistance.
What should we conclude about the success or failure of welfare reform in that state?
With the threat of the economy, people are always going to need public and financial assistance. According to the article Alabama receives the least amount in assistance so many individuals are probably not receiving enough to provide for their families.