Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: With the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA), the federal government replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). TANF’s key distinctions from AFDC are its emphasis on aggressively encouraging welfare recipients, primarily single mothers, into employment and that each of the 50 states is free to individualize their TANF programs pursuant of federally-mandated outcomes. Extant research suggests that TANF’s work policies may contribute to deleterious behavioral outcomes for recipients’ adolescent children. The current research explores the relationship between TANF work policies and adolescent antisocial behaviors, operationalized by criminal activity and pregnancy, across a representative sample of counties in the United States from the mid-1990s to the present day. Further, I will examine whether or not variations in TANF programs’ generosity across the U.S., particularly in terms of financial incentives, less stringent sanctions policies, and adolescent support programs, are able to off-set potential negative impacts of mothers' working on these adolescent outcomes.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: In response to the 1996 Personal Responsibility Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, many states developed policies to “divert” applicants from receiving cash assistance (TANF). The intent of this policy was to encourage self-sufficiency and to prevent the diverted from becoming “dependent” on welfare. Critics of the policy argued that applicants were likely to be in severe economic difficulties and that diversion would only delay their receipt of badly needed safety-net supports. Using data from the Oregon Welfare Study, we examine the outcomes of diversion. These data include a sample of welfare “leavers,” diverted, and individuals who left the Food Stamp program in early 1998. The study followed this sample until the end of 1999. About 35 percent of the diverted received cash grants within 2 months of initially failing to receive such grants. The diverted had a much higher rate of TANF receipt the other two groups in the sample. However, we did not find that the diverted were in greater financial difficulty than the other groups during the 19 months of the study. Their incomes and the proportion with incomes below the poverty threshold were similar, as most of those in the study remained in low wage jobs. Moreover, all of those in the study were similar on a variety of demographic characteristics. We conclude that in the short term, diversion in Oregon denied assistance to many of those in need and did not increase their ability to be self-sufficient.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: This study, exploring the early years of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), addresses the question: what affects social welfare policy outcomes in the age of devolution. I used a comparative state legislative study that incorporates a multidimensional approach (the administration of state welfare programs and monthly TANF benefit levels) in order to explore this question. I used political and economic variables to determine to what degree legislative characteristics affect social welfare policy outcomes at the state level. I ascertained that the variables that we once thought were important explanations for welfare policy outcomes appear to be less significant and that political competition, at least in these models, is the main variable that explains benefits levels. Yet political competition does not seems to be statistically significant in the strictness model, however it is still worthy of note. In addition, Gross State Product Per Capita in one of the TANF Benefits models is moderately related to benefits level. Furthermore, how strict a state’s TANF program is does not appear to be related to how much a state allocates to welfare recipients on monthly basis.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: As a result of the 1996 welfare reform, the federal government gives bloc grants to states, leaving much discretionary power to the state legislatures in regards to how much and where to spend the money. This rendered a variety in welfare programs across states. Among many possible causes of such variation, this paper focuses on women legislators. A regression analysis tests whether the legislative power of women politicians positively affects social policy decisions. The independent variable is the power of women legislation, measured by the portion of women legislators in state legislatures. The dependent variable is the degrees to which TANF is generous to recipients. To measure generosity, such factors will be incorporated as the maximum benefit (grant) level with discount rates and the ease of eligibility for benefits. The control variables are mainly drawn upon previous research. They include: state politics (institutions, paternalistic goals), good economy, and racial construction in the constituencies. The main data source of women legislators and the effect of gender gap on legislation is the archive of the Center for American Women and Politics. This paper employs OLS cross-sectional regression analysis across 50 states.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: The Aftermath of Welfare Reform:
Health, Health Insurance, and Access to Care
Among Families Leaving TANF


Karen Seccombe, Ph.D.*
Kim Hoffman, B.A.
Heather Hartley, Ph.D.**
Jason Newsom, Ph.D.***
Gwen Kelly, M.A.*
Christina Albo, M.A.*
Tosha Zaback, B.A.*
Cathy Gordon, B.A.*
Richard Lockwood, M.P.H.**
Clyde Pope, Ph.D.****

Abstract
This research reports the initial findings of a statewide study that looks at health, insurance, and access to health care among 637 families leaving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) for work. Most national and state-level research and evaluation projects focus primarily on the employment characteristics of TANF leavers and their economic struggles, with little attention to health and access to health care. The ability to obtain health care is fundamental to the security, stability, and well-being of poor families. Respondents were interviewed approximately 6-7 months after leaving TANF for work; therefore they should be eligible for the transitional health benefits at the time of the interview. Nonetheless, these findings suggest that insurance coverage and access is already becoming problematic. Logistic regression models isolate the numerous personal and structural barriers that are keeping families from getting needed health and dental care, and prescription medicines.