Oregon Families Who Left Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) or Food Stamps: A Study of Economic and Family Well-Being From 1998 to 2000 (Vol. 1)
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Date
2001-01
Authors
CSWS Welfare Research Team
Acker, Joan
Morgen, Sandra
Heath, Terri
Barry, Kate
Gonzales, Lisa
Weigt, Jill
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
What happens to families that leave or are diverted from cash assistance or Food Stamps in
Oregon? Dramatic reductions in public assistance caseloads after welfare reform have raised
public concern about poor families. Our study indicates that the effects of welfare -to-work
policies are neither simple nor uniform. The experiences of families suggest that it is unwise to
paint a picture of welfare reform without attending to the diversity of families’ experiences and
needs.
Two years after leaving or being diverted from Temporary Assistance to Needy Families
(TANF) or Food Stamps, a substantial proportion of respondents are employed. However, their
earnings are low and families struggle mightily to make ends meet. Our sample was nearly evenly
divided between those with household incomes above and below the federal poverty level. Safety
net programs such as Food Stamps, the Oregon Health Plan, housing and child-care assistance
and federal and state earned income tax credits are critical for family well-being. These essential
resources often disappear before a family’s need for them diminis hes because of income eligibility
limits and unaffordable co-payments associated with the programs. Non-employed respondents
often live in communities without sufficient good jobs, have chronic health problems or they need
job training or education. The state of Oregon, and these families, would be well served by
intensified efforts to reduce poverty, sustain and improve safety net programs and foster more
living wage jobs across the state.
Description
122 pages
Keywords
welfare, SES, family income, poverty, living wage jobs