ABSTRACT
This chapter reports findings from an implementation study that examined how welfare-related work requirements and child-care policies were applied to parents of infants in eight communities. Nearly half the states have used the flexibility provided under the federal welfare reform law to require parents of infants to work as a condition of receiving benefits, and nearly all states require teenage parents to return to school soon after the birth of a child. The study examined the policy environment (work and school requirements) and practical considerations (child-care and supportive services) that influence the timing and ease of the transition from welfare to work or school for parents of infants. The study is based on staff interviews and focus groups with key informants in eight communities: Bakersfield, California; St. Petersburg and New Port Richey, Florida; Waterloo, Iowa; Grand Rapids and Detroit (Warren-Conner District), Michigan; Nashville, Tennessee; and Milwaukee (Region 2), Wisconsin.
