Shows how the progressive aspects of community action shifted to serve conservative ends in the 1990s. Contemporary welfare policy-reform embodies this shift, which narrows rather than expands the citizenship of the poor. The challenge for antipoverty activists now is to create a coordinated response that harnesses the progressive possibilities of…

Describes the provisions of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, also known as the Welfare Reform Act, and discusses implications for young children with disabilities, their families, and early-intervention programs under Part H of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. (DB)

Reviews the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRA) of 1996 and examines its details and implications. Discusses the philosophies and values of counseling psychology in the context of realities and misconceptions of the past welfare system. Recommends points of entry for counseling psychologists.…

Using Bourdieu's concept of habitus, a study of 13 rural African-American women examined their experience in a community college work education program. Some resisted the program's ideological message in the context of a community offering few prospects for long-term employment. The program emphasized compliance, passivity, and rules rather than…

Investigates the impact of welfare reform legislation, discussing reasons for declining enrollment and examining: welfare's rise and fall; the end of welfare as it always existed; hassles of being on welfare; influence of the strong economy and rising wages; research on declining enrollment; leaving welfare without working; other sources of…

Describes the impact of Wisconsin Works (W-2), a work-first welfare reform effort that has created significant welfare enrollment reduction. While critics claimed it would devastate inner cities, poor families are faring better. W-2 built on diversion and incentives, opening up welfare administration to competition. Despite many successes, W-2 has…

The Life Skills for Independence class at Chemetketa Community College aims to move people from welfare to work and self-sufficiency. The college works with Oregon's Adult and Family Services agency to mainstream students in the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills program. (JOW)

Identifies key characteristics of indigenous sole-parent families relative to other such Australian families and analyzes the factors associated with their ongoing levels of economic disadvantage. Raises issues about the efficacy of job-skill-development programs. (Author/JOW)

Life histories of 74 young black women were examined for direct and indirect transmission of values. Values about work and welfare were associated with employment and perceptions of future self-sufficiency. When such transmissions were unidimensional, limited, or absent, women were more likely to be unemployed and to perceive future economic…

Provides an overview of federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) legislation and describes features of state TANF programs that are relevant for appreciating the need for evaluation and interpreting evaluations. Also describes some features of the "culture" of local welfare offices. (Author/SLD)

Explores the implications of the rapid influx of low-income mothers into the work force and the new federal work requirements for the well-being of young children. Reviews data about welfare policy provisions from the 1990s, but notes that such data was generally collected before the influx of low-income mothers into the workforce. (SLD)

Discusses the conditions that promote evaluation and their applicability to the current welfare situation. Outlines a welfare reform evaluation agenda, focusing on core activities and investments in evaluation. The major focus should be finding out what is effective for which individuals. (SLD)

Used data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics to examine the effects of living in public housing as a child at some point between 1968-1982 on four young adult outcomes. Results indicated that having lived in public housing increased employment, raised earnings, and reduced welfare use but had no effect on household earnings relative to the…

Adults with limited financial literacy skills must cope with understanding the interrelationship among wages, social security, and welfare systems. Radical adult education can help them make informed decisions about the financial consequences of moving from welfare to work. (SK)

Describes the Linking Individuals to New Careers (LINC) program at Great Plains Technology Center, part of a state network that moves welfare recipients out of poverty through career and technical education. Discusses LINC workshops on job preparation. (JOW)