Transitions On and Off AFDC: Implications for Parenting and Children's Cognitive Development

Abstract

The goal of current national and state legislation on welfare reform is to decrease the number of people who are dependent on public assistance, most of whom are mothers and their young children. Mothers' patterns of welfare receipt in the 3 years following the birth of a child were examined vis-à-vis their associations with maternal emotional distress (General Health Questionnaire), provision of learning experiences (Home Observation of the Measurement of the Environment), parenting behavior, and the child's cognitive test score (Stanford-Binet) in the third year of life. The data set was the Infant Health and Development Program, an eight-site randomized clinical trial designed to test the efficacy of educational and family support services in reducing developmental delays in low-birthweight, preterm infants (N = 833). Strong negative associations were found between receiving welfare and parenting behavior and child outcomes at age 3 years. Outcomes varied depending on when the mother received public assistance (earlier or later in her child's first 3 years) and family poverty status on leaving welfare. The parenting behavior of mothers who had left welfare by their child's third birthday was more likely to be authoritarian if she had left public assistance without also leaving poverty. Implications of these findings for the well-being of children in low-income families are discussed.

Influences of monetary and non-monetary family resources on children's development in verbal ability in China

“…Parents with low or unstable incomes experience more stresses, which first Figure 1). They are also more likely to adopt a harsh parenting style, which is known to be detrimental to children's well-being (Yeung, Linver and Brooks-Gunn 2002;Smith et al 2001). In addition, the quality of parenting practices also varies by parents' economic resources (Chin and Phillip 2004).…”

Maternal functioning, time, and money: The world of work and welfare

“…In pre-welfare- reform studies, some research found that movements off welfare and into employment predicted improved home environments for children Smith et al, 2001), whereas other research found no significant link (Wilson, Ellwood, & Brooks-Gunn, 1995). One possible explanation for the mixed effects of welfare and employment on parenting and the home environment is that the employment contexts experienced by low-income, lowskilled women often involve low wages, unstimulating conditions, and other stressful experiences which detract from, rather than enhance, parents' ability to provide supportive home environments for their children Raver, 2003).…”

“…Data from the experimental assessments have found no consistent effects of welfare reform programs on aspects of parenting including warmth, harshness, and cognitive stimulation (see Huston et al, 2005;Morris, Huston, Duncan, Crosby, & Bos, 2001). Data from the WES indicate that movements into employment while retaining welfare benefits predicted improvements in the quality of parenting (Dunifon, Kalil, & Danziger, 2003; see also Brooks-Gunn, Klebanov, Smith, & Lee, 2001;Smith, Brooks-Gunn, Kohen, & McCarton, 2001;Raver, 2003). On the other hand, movements off welfare-whether combined with entries into stable employment or not-were not related to parenting practices, controlling for mothers' financial and psychological functioning.…”

Mothers of Children With ADHD: Does Employment Help?

“…A recent three-year longitudinal study found that maternal employment was predictive of less depressive symptomology as a result of less financial strain and thus, less negative parenting over time (Jackson et al, 2008). Correlations between higher family incomes resulting from maternal employment and improvements in children's well-being were supported in the literature (Smith, Brooks-Gunn, Klebanov, & Lee, 2000;Smith, Brooks-Gunn, Kohen, & McCarton, 2001). Bigelow (2006) posited that learning disorders, including ADHD, are aggravated or even caused by chronic early poverty, likely due to the family strain and lack of access to resources that help mitigate the negative effects of the children's disorder.…”