Welfare reform, fertility, and father involvement

Future of Children

Volumn 12, Issue 1, 2002, Pages 147-165

  McLanahan, Sara S ^a   Carlson, Marcia J ^b  

^a PRINCETON UNIVERSITY   (United States)

^b Och Spine at New York Presbyterian Hospitals   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT; CHILD WELFARE; EDUCATION; EMOTION; FAMILY PLANNING; FATHER; FERTILITY; HUMAN; MARRIAGE; OUTCOMES RESEARCH; POLICY; PREGNANCY; REVIEW; SOCIETY; UNWANTED PREGNANCY; ADOLESCENT; ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY; CHILD; CHILD CARE; ECONOMICS; FAMILY SIZE; FATHER CHILD RELATION; FEMALE; HEALTH CARE PLANNING; LEGAL ASPECT; MALE; ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT; SOCIAL CARE; STATISTICS; UNITED STATES;

ADOLESCENT; CHILD; CHILD CARE; CHILD WELFARE; FAMILY CHARACTERISTICS; FATHER-CHILD RELATIONS; FEMALE; HEALTH PLANNING; HUMANS; MALE; PREGNANCY; PREGNANCY IN ADOLESCENCE; PUBLIC ASSISTANCE; UNITED STATES;

EID: 0036886792     PISSN: 10548289     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Review

References (88)

1. In the 1980s and early 1990s, states experimented (through waivers and demonstrations) with many welfare and child support provisions that were subsequently enacted as part of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996.
2. See, for example, Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. Nurturing fatherhood: Improving data and research on male fertility, family formation and fatherhood. Washington, DC: Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, 1998;
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4. Marsiglio, W. Fathers' diverse life course patterns and roles. In Fatherhood: Contemporary theory, research, and social policy. W. Marsiglio, ed. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1995, pp. 78-101.
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6. Clarke, S.C. Advance report of final marriage statistics, 1989 and 1990. Monthly Vital Statistics Reports. Vol. 43, no. 12S. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1995;
7. U.S. Census Bureau. Statistical abstract of the United States, 2000: The national data book. Washington, DC: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000.
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13. Some argue that because the new rules under welfare reform increase a couple's economic security without penalizing cohabitation, welfare is encouraging family formation but not marriage itself. See Mincy, R.B., and Dupree, A. T. Welfare, child support and family formation. Children and Youth Services Review (2001) 23(6/7):577-601.
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16. Also, only half of all nonmarital births are now first births. Ventura, S., Bachrach, C., Hill, L., et al. The demography of out-of-wedlock childbearing. In Report to Congress on out-of-wedlock childbearing. Hyattsville, MD: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1995, pp. 3-134;
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18. Children also could live with their fathers in comparable situations. The number of single-father families has risen in recent years, although single-mother families still represent four-fifths of all one-parent families with children (as of 1998).
19. See U.S. Bureau of the Census. Household and family characteristics: March 1998 (update). Current Population Reports, P20-515. Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of the Census, December 11, 1998, and earlier reports. Available online at http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hh-fam.html.
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28. Duncan, G.J., and Brooks-Gunn, J., eds. Consequences of growing up poor. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1997.
29. U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means. 2000 green book: Background material and data on programs within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2001, table H-6, p. 1289.
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31. Seltzer, J. Relationships between fathers and children who live apart: The father's role after separation. Journal of Marriage and the Family (1991) 53:79-101.
32. This underrepresentation occurs because low-income men are difficult to locate or because they either intentionally or unknowingly misreport their parental status. See Garfinkel, I., McLanahan, S., and Hanson, T. A patchwork portrait of nonresident fathers. In Fathers under fire: The revolution in child support enforcement. I. Garfinkel, S. McLanahan, D. Meyer, and J. Seltzer, eds. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1998, pp. 31-60.
33. Furstenberg, F., Morgan, P., and Allison, P. Paternal participation and children's well-being after marital dissolution. American Sociological Review (1987) 52:695-701.
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35. Amato, P.R., and Rivera, F. Paternal involvement and children's behavior problems. Journal of Marriage and the Family (1999) 61:372-84;
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39. and Zimmerman, M.A., Salem, D.A., and Maton, K.I. Family structure and psychosocial correlates among urban African-American adolescent males. Child Development (1995) 66:1598-1613.
40. Amato, P.R., and Gilbreth, J.G. Nonresident fathers and children's well-being: A meta-analysis. Journal of Marriage and the Family (1999) 61:557-73.
41. See, for example, King, V. Nonresident father involvement and child well-being: Can dads make a difference? Journal of Family Issues (1994) 15(1):78-96;
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44. See note 2, Lamb.
45. See note 28, Amato and Gilbreth; and note 29, Simons, et al.
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49. Thornton, A. Influence of the marital history of parents on the marital and cohabitational experiences of children. American Journal of Sociology (1991) 96(4):868-94.
50. McLanahan, S., Garfinkel, G., Reichman, N., and Teitler, J. Unwed parents or fragile families? Implications for welfare and child support policy. In Out of wedlock: Trends, causes and consequences of nonmarital fertility. L. Wu and B. Wolfe, eds. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 2001, pp. 202-08.
51. Danziger, S., Corcoran, M., Danziger, S., et al. Barriers to the employment of welfare recipients. In Prosperity for all? The economic boom and African Americans. R. Cherry and W.M. Rodgers, III, eds. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. 2000, pp. 245-78.
52. Raphael, J., and Tolman, R.M. Trapped by poverty and trapped by abuse: New evidence documenting the relationship between domestic violence and welfare. Executive summary. Chicago: Taylor Institute, and Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Research Development Center on Poverty, Risk, and Mental Health, 1997.
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56. Ooms, T. Strategies to reduce nonmarital childbearing. In Report to Congress on out-of-wedlock childbearing. Hyattsville, MD: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1995, pp. 241-65.
57. See note 11, Ventura, et al, 1999.
58. Terry-Humen, E., Manlove, J., and Moore, K.A. Births outside of marriage: Perceptions vs. reality. Research Brief. Washington, DC: Child Trends, April 2001.
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60. Kirby, D. No easy answers: Research findings on programs to reduce teen pregnancy. Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 1997.
61. Child Trends. Trends in sexual activity and contraceptive use among teens. Research Brief. Washington, DC: Child Trends, 2000.
62. Kirby, D. Emerging answers: New research findings on programs to reduce teen pregnancy. Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, May 2001.
63. See also Moore, K.A., Miller, B.C., Morrison, D.R., and Glei, D.A. Adolescent sex, contraception, and childbearing: A review of recent research. Washington, DC: Child Trends, 1995.
64. Murray, Charles. Losing ground: American social policy, 1950-1980. New York: Basic Books, 1984.
65. Moffitt, R.A. The effect of welfare on marriage and fertility. In Welfare, the family, and reproductive behavior. R.A. Moffitt, ed. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1998, pp. 50-97.
66. Stark, S., and Levin-Epstein, J. Excluded children: Family cap in a new era. Washington, DC: Center for Law and Social Policy, 1999.
67. Camasso, M.J., Harvey, C., Jagannathan, R., and Killingsworth, M. A final report on the impact of New Jersey's Family Development program experimental-control group analysis. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University, 1998.
68. Turtorro, C., Benda, B., and Turney, H. Arkansas Welfare Waiver Demonstration project: Final report. Little Rock: University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Social Work, 1997. See note 51, as cited in Stark and Levin-Epstein.
69. Garfinkel, I., Meyer, D.R., and McLanahan, S. A brief history of child support policies in the United States. In Fathers under fire: The revolution in child support enforcement. I. Garfinkel, S. McLanahan, D. Meyer, and J. Seltzer, eds. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1998, pp. 14-30.
70. See note 21, U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, p. 467.
71. Office of Child Support Enforcement. Child Support Enforcement twenty-third annual report to Congress. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children & Families, OCSE, 2000, table 2.
72. Sorensen, E., and Turner, M. Barriers in child support policy: A review of the literature. Paper prepared for the System Barriers Roundtable, sponsored by the National Center of Fathers and Families. Philadelphia, PA, May 29, 1996.
73. Sorensen, E. Noncustodial fathers: Can they afford to pay more child support? Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 1995; see also note 24, Garfinkel, McLanahan, and Hanson.
74. Johnson, E., Levine, A., and Doolittle, F. Fathers' fair share: Helping poor men manage child support and fatherhood. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1999.
75. See note 24, Garfinkel, et al.
76. Historically, states were required to "pass through" the first $50 per month in child support to mothers, which at least improved the family's well-being slightly. This requirement was eliminated with the 1996 welfare reform law, but nearly half the states have chosen to continue or increase the pass-through with state monies. See Turetsky, V. Realistic child support policies for low income fathers. Kellogg Devolution Initiative Paper. Washington, DC: Center for Law and Social Policy, March 2000. Available online at http://www.clasp.org/pubs/childenforce/kellogg.htm.
77. Sorensen, E. Obligating dads: Helping low-income noncustodial fathers do more for their children. Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 1999.
78. This provision was enacted in the 1986 "Bradley amendment." See note 61, Turetsky.
79. Case, A. The effects of stronger child support enforcement on nonmarital fertility. In Fathers under fire: The revolution in child support enforcement. I. Garfinkel, S. McLanahan, D. Meyer, and J. Seltzer, eds. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1998, pp. 191-215;
80. Garfinkel, I., Gaylin, D.S., McLanahan, S.S., and Huang, C. The roles of child support enforcement and welfare in nonmarital childbearing. Working Paper No. 2000-06. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University, Center for Research on Child Well-being, 2000;
81. and Plotnick, R.D., Ku, I., Garfinkel, I., and McLanahan, S. The impact of child support enforcement policy on nonmarital childbearing. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America, Washington, DC, March 29-31, 2001.
82. Nixon, L. The effect of child support enforcement on marital dissolution. The Journal of Human Resources (1997) 32(1):159-81.
83. Seltzer, J.A., McLanahan, S.S., and Hanson, T.L. Will child support enforcement increase father-child contact and parental conflict after separation? In Fathers under fire: The revolution in child support enforcement. I. Garfinkel, S. McLanahan, D. Meyer, and J. Seltzer, eds. New York: Russell Sage Foundation, 1998, pp. 157-190; see also note 23, Seltzer.
84. Knox, V., and Redcross, C. Parenting and providing: The impact of Parents' Fair Share on paternal involvement. New York: Manpower Demonstration Research Corp., 2000.
85. For more information about the Welfare-to-Work program, see the U.S. Department of Labor Web site at http://wtw.doleta.gov/resources/fact- noncustodial.asp.
86. See note 21, U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means, pp. 442-43.
87. Nightingale, D.S. Program structure and service delivery in eleven Welfare-to-Work grant programs. Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research, January 2001.
88. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HHS awards child support waivers to help promote responsible fatherhood. Press release. Hyattsville, MD: DHHS, March 29, 2000.