The welfare changes that were signed into law in 1996 have affected the lives of more single mothers and children than any laws in recent memory. The law changed welfare benefits from an entitlement program aimed at assisting the families of unemployed single mothers into a temporary assistance program that was geared toward getting those single mothers into the work force as quickly as possible. Because having dependent children under the age of 18 was a criterion for receiving welfare, this change has impacted the lives of millions of children and youth, as well as single mothers.

    There is widespread agreement that children can benefit from having a working parent as a role model, and that employment and a paycheck can inspire feelings of accomplishment and self-reliance among adults. However, if a working parent earns the minimum wage, or even twice the minimum wage, can he or she support a family? Or will that family continue to live in poverty? And who will care for the young children of those working single mothers, or supervise their older children when they come home from school?

    Welfare reform has been a success in getting families off of welfare, but it has not been a great success in getting families out of poverty. These articles help explain the politics behind the changes in our welfare system and present some of the new data that show the reality behind the headlines of welfare reform.