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1993.08.09 :  Mandatory Services for Teenage AFDC Mothers 

Contact: Melissa Skolfield  (202) 690-6853
August 9, 1993

     Teen-age mothers receiving Aid to Families with Dependent Children
(AFDC) achieve and sustain significantly higher rates of school attendance and
employment when they receive mandatory training and support services,
according to a long-term study of one such program released today by HHS
Secretary Donna E. Shalala.
     The rigorous study of a unique welfare demonstration program in Illinois
and New Jersey shows a 19 percent higher rate of success for its participants,
measured in school attendance, job training or employment.  The improvement
begins almost immediately and persists even after two years, the study
showed.
     "The young mothers who participated in this study were first-time parents
living in tough, inner-city neighborhoods with high unemployment rates, and
many of them had dropped out of high school," Secretary Shalala said.  "But
despite those obstacles, this study shows that effective case management and
mandatory education and training can help AFDC recipients take that first,
important step toward self-sufficiency."
     David Ellwood, HHS Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation and
co-chair of President Clinton's Working Group on Welfare Reform, Family
Support and Independence, said the study is "significant because of its size
and its rigor, in addition to its hopeful findings.
     "This shows that large-scale work-oriented programs can succeed even
under very difficult circumstances," Ellwood said.  "Combined with
improvements in child support collection and an expanded Earned Income Tax
Credit, this approach has great potential for helping young parents escape
dependency." '
     The 30-month study, conducted by Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.,
under contract to HHS, tracked almost 6,000 young, first-time AFDC
recipients in Chicago, Ill., and Camden and Newark, N.J., from late 1987 to
mid-
1991.  Participation rates for the program averaged 89 percent.
     Fifty percent of those who signed up were required to participate in
education and training programs or face a reduction of approximately $160 in
their monthly AFDC grant.  The other 50 percent received regular AFDC
services and served as a control group.  Assignment was made by random
selection.
     Teen parents who participated in the enhanced services program received
counseling and help with child care and transportation.
     The 19 percent higher success rate for program participants reflects that
during the two years following enrollment, 79 percent of the enhanced services
group were in school, job training or a job -- compared to 66 percent of those
receiving regular AFDC assistance.  The pattern was similar across all three
sites.
     Case managers found several successful strategies for increasing and
maintaining participation, including flexible schedules, on-site child care and
informal group meetings to break down feelings of isolation.
     The demonstration began in 1986, before the passage of the 1988 Family
Support Act and implementation of the Job opportunities and Basic Skills
Training (JOBS) program.  Unlike the evaluated demonstration program, which
used a nonselective approach and required all new teen-age mothers to
participate, the JOBS program rules exempt teens who are under 16, are
enrolled in school or have completed high school or equivalent if they have
children under age 3.
     Overall, 62 percent of those who joined the demonstration program were
warned at some point of possible sanctions; more than one-third had their
grants reduced at least once.  Nevertheless, the vast majority of young mothers
had extremely positive feelings about the program.
     The study released today is the first phase of a major eight-year evaluation
effort, and relied on surveys, administrative records, interviews and focus
groups.