Welfare to Work: Child Care Assistance Limited; Welfare Reform May Expand Needs

摘要

From 1991 through 1993, federal and state spending on child care subsidies tohelp current and former welfare recipients work or go to school grew from just over $600 million to over $1 billion. As the Congress and the states consider and test various approaches to restricting the length of time that mothers stay on welfare and to begin working more quickly. Questions have arisen about child care needs created by more welfare mothers participating in training activities, part-time work, and finally, full-time work. In particular, concerns have been expressed about the capacity of the states' child care resources to handle the increase in the number of children needing care under such proposals. Given rising interest in this issue, we examined, (1) the extent to which child care needs of welfare recipients in an education and training program (the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) program) are currently being met, (2) whether any barriers exist to meeting the child care needs of JOBS participants, (3) the effects of child care subsidies on former welfare recipients' move toward self-sufficiency, and (4) the potential implications of welfare reform for child care availability and continuity.