GAO UnitedStat~Gexma.lAccoun~office

Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Hmm Resources, Committee on Ways and Means, House of Representatives

/s/2= May1994 F-S ON

WELFARE Teenage Mothers Least Likely to Become Self-Sufficient

x

i

Notice: This is a reprint of a GAO report.

GAO united states GeneralAccouutlng~ce wasmn, D.C. 20648 Hedth, Education, and EblmaIlservieesmvieion

B-256942

May 31,1994

The Honorable Harold E. Ford Chairman, SubcommitteeonHumanResources Committee on Ways and Means House of Representatives

Dear&. Chairman

In recent years, concerns about rising caseloads and long-term dependency have prompted renewed attention to the nation’s welfare system. since the summer of 1989, Aid to Families with Depadent Children(~)caseloadsandcostshavebeenrisingandaren~wat record levels. In-, concerns have centsed on the rising number of teenage mothers, and particularly the high public costs associated with their dependence on welfare programs.

Inresponsetothe~~inApDc,stateshave~~~orreforms, inclu~ taldng new actions targeting teenage mothers. For example, severaisWeshavehitiakdprogramsforteenagemofhersrecekhgAFDC that require those without a high school diplomat0 attend school or have theirAEoc~~~~Thesestate~o~atreformarenowtaking place under specific federal waivers, and the challenge of systemwide refoIxTllies ahead

AstheCongressbeginstodeliberatetheirrsuessurroundingthefederal role in we&are refoxm, you asked us for-info&on on who is currently receiving support under the AFDC program and whethtx the &arxWWics of this population have changfxi in recent years. This report presents information iPorn 1976 to 1992 about the group of women receiving AFDC who are or were teenage mothers. In another reporg which we are also sending to you today, we present info-on for the saute time period on ~singlewbmenreceiving~and,withinthat~~,thegrowing proportion of those who have never beer~married.~

Backgrcmnd The AFDC program provides cash bene&s to economically needy families with children who lack support kom one or both of their parents because of death, absence, incapaciQ, or unemployment. APDC is funded with

.

lRmfks on Welfsn Sharp Rise in Nwer-lbfadd Women R&m societa ‘Iknd (GA-.& May 1994).

Page 1 -94416 @DC Women Who Gave Birth aa Teamgem

B-266942

federal and state dollars, with the federal share deternuned by a mat&ing formula related to each state’s per capim income.

Both caseloads and total program costs have grown dramaucally in recent years. Total assistance payments for families receiving AFDC, inchniing federal and state funds, were about $222 billion in fiscal year 1992. In November 1992, AFDC ben&ts reached over 5 mUion families nationwide. The average AFDC family receives asistance for about 2 years, but many families, including those who go on and off welfare numerous times, receive assistance for much longer periods of time.

As caseloads have grown, attention has focused on the reiatio&p between teenage childbearing and AFDC receipt. From 1976 to 1992, the number of teenage mothers receiving ilFDc increased from about 35,000 to about 150,000. In addition, the total number of women who gave birth as teenagers and are receiving AFDC is larger, since studies have shown that a ~~~~een when a teenager has her Brst chiid and when she

Available e&hates of the public costs associated with supporting teenage mothers and their cMdren are h@t For example, the Center for Population Options has estimated that in 1990 the federal government spent $25 biIIion in MDC, Medicaid, and Food Stamps to support families begun by teena&ers-

Results irk Brief Women who gave birth as teenagers make up nearly half of the AFDC caseload-a s&able group. Our analysis shows that this group of women is less likely to have high school diplomas and more likely to have larger families. Both these characteristics increase the likelihood of being among the poorest AFLK recipients. E&n though they work in the same propotions as other women receiving AFDC, they earn less and are more likely to have total family incomes2 below 50 percent of the poverty line. Given these differences, women who had their Grst child when they were teenagexs may have the most d.iSculty earning their way off welfare and becoming se&wfEicienL As the Congress considers welfare reform, it may need to explore preventative strategies aimed at discouraging young mothers Mm becoming dependent on welfare and encouraging those that do to become self-sticien~ In future work we will be identifying and examihq strategies that show promise in a&sting teenage mothers.

B-26&342

Scope and Methodology

From all single women recebhg AFDC during 1976 and 1992, we analyzed demographic, employment, and income trends for the group of current and former teenage mothers. For comparisonpurposes, we examined axresponding trends for the group of single women re&ving AFM: who did not have a child when they were teenagers. For a more detailed discusion of these trends, see appendix I. We used the following data sources: the Census Bureau’s March Current Popuiation Survey (cps), from 1976 to 1992; Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) National Integrated Quality Control System data, from 1986 to 1992; and other censlls data in published reports.

Almnd Ualf nf All Fkomj Lu.lLLU3L, llau u1 JZLLL L976to 1992, almosthalfofallsingle~ women receiviniz AFDc--dbout

Single Women 42 percent-were or had been teenage mothers. (See fig. 1 Gr 1992 data) This prop&ion remainedroughlythe sametbroughout the 17-yeartime

Receiving AFDC Gave period, although the number of women receiving AFDC who gave birth as

Birth as Teenagers teenagers increased from about 734,000 to almost 1.2 million Among women receiving AFDC who gave birth as teenagers, currentteenage moth- were asmall percentag+l3 percent in 1992.

-94-116 AF’DC Women Who Gave Bklt as Teaugena

Figure 1: Proportion of Women Who Gave Birth as Teenagers Is Nearly II&f of All Single Women Receiving AFDC UFS. 1992)

Source: CPS.

5.3% Women Who Are Currently Teenage Mothers

Women Who Were Teenage Mothers

Women Who Did Not Give birth as Teenagers

Women Who Gave Birth as Teenagers

Throughoutthe period we examhed, women receiving m gave bii as teenager differed in several key respects Ii=om women receiving m who did not.

Are Less Educhd, Have Larger Fa;milies, l Educational attaiument Jn 1992, less than half of women who gave birth as

and Are More Likely teemgem had a high school diploq compared with about two-thin% of women who did not give birth as teenagers. (See fig. 2.)

to Be Never Married

Rgure 2: Women Reoeiving AFDC Who Gave Btrth as Teenagers Less UkeJy to PUCM Nave a High School Diploma Than 65 Women Who Did Not Give Birth as

622

TeeMgem (CPS, 1992) 60 55 50

4E7 45 40 35 so 25 20 16 10 5 0

Source: CPS.

l Family size. Women who gave bii as teenagers were also more likely to have larger families In 1992,18 percent of women who gave birth as teenage had four or more children, but only 9 percent of women who did notgivebirthasteenagershadfamiliesthislarge.

l Mar&d status. Compared to women receiving AFDC who did not give birth as teenagers, those who did were more likely to be never-maMai In 1992, almost tw~thirds of women who gave birth as teenages had never been marrid In comparison, &cm& 45 percent of women who did not give birth ZlSteenagerShadneVermarried

In other work reported to you today, we found that lower levels of educationandlargerfiunilies werebothcharacteristicsthatincreasedthe

Page 6 GAWBEB-94-116 AFDC Women Who Gave Bfrch aa Tmtns

B-268942

likelihood that a woman receiving AFDC would have a total family income below 50 percent of the paver@ line3

For women receiving llp~c who gave bird-t as teenagers, trends in educational attainment and marital status over the period 1976 to 1992 paralleled trends for women receiving AFDC who did not give birth as teenagers. In addition, as reported to you in our companion repo& these trends also paralleled trends for all single women receiving m.d For all three groups, the proportion of those with a high school diploma increased and the proportion of those who never married more than doubled.

Women Who Gave Birth as Teenagers More Likely to Have Incomes Below 50

those who gave birth as teenag- earned less. Between 1976 and 1992, about 35 percent of both groups worked. However, average eamings for women who gave birth as teenagers and worked have remained below the average eamings for other women who worked but did not give birth as

Percent of the Poverty teenagers. In 1992, annual eamings for women who gave birth as teenagers and worked were about $1,600 less, on average, than women who did not

Line givebirthasteenagers.

Women who gave birth as teenagers were also more likely to have total family incomes below 50 percent of the poverty line. (See fig. 3.) Over half of women who gave birth as teenagers had total fhmily incomes below 50 percent of the poverty line in 1992, while only 41 percent of woma ~odidnotgivebirthasteenagershadtoblfamilyincamesthislaw.This

- di&rence in total family income is not surprising, given the lower earningsofwomenwhogavebirthas~andthedecliningvalueof cash benefits over the time period we examined for all women receiving AFDC.

Figure 3: Women Receiving AFDC Who Gew Birth es Tcc~gcrs Yom Likely pwernt to Have Manes Below 50 Pertent of s the Poverty Urn Than Women Who Did Not Give Bltih 8s leenagcrs (CPS. 4o 1992) 45

40

35

30

2s

20

15

10

5

r

Source: CPS.

As agreed, we did not obtain written agency comen~. We are sending copies of this report to appropriate House and Senate commit&s, the Secretarg of Heaith and Human Services, and other interested parties. Copies will be made available to others on request

Eyou 0ryourstaEhave any questions conceningfihis rep@ orneed additional information, please call me on (202) 5124’215. Other m&or contcibutoxs are listed in appendix IL

sincerely yours,

Joseph F’. De&o Director, Incon-te Security Issues

k

Page 8 -94dl6 AFDC Wawn Who Gave Bixth as Teemgexa

Contents

Letter Appendix I Current and Former Teenage Mothers Appendix II Major Contributcm to This Report Glossary 31

Bibliography 32

Related GAO Products 36

Tables Table Ll: Proportion of Women Receiv& AFDC Who Gave Birth asTeenagers

14

Table L2z Propotion of Women Receiving AFDC and Working 24 Among Women Who Did and Did Not Give Birth as Teenagers

Tabie L3: hoportion of Women Receiving AF’DC and Working at 24 Some Point Dwing a Given Year Among Women Who Did and Did Not Give Birth as Teenagers

Figures Figure 1: Ropotion of Women Who Gave Birth as Teenagers Is Nearly Half of AU Single Women Receiving AFDC

Figure 2: Women Receiving AFDC Who Gave Birth as Teenagers Lfss likely to Have a High !3chool Diploma Than Women Who Did Not Give Birth as Teenagers

4

5

F’igure 3: Women Receiving AFDC Who Gave Birth as Teenagers More I.&elyto Have Incomes Below 5OPercent of the Poverty Line Than Women Who Did Not Give Birth as Teenagers

F&ore II: Age Composition of Women Receiving AFDC Who Gave Birth as Teemgexs

7

12

Figure L2: Proportion of Never-Married Women Amorg Women Who Gave Birth as Teenagers and Among Those Who Did Not

17

P8ge 10 -94-X16 AF”DC Women Who Gave Birth ma Teaagaa .

e

I contenta

k FIgwe L3: Roportion W ith a High School Diploma or Some

College Education Among Women Who Gave Birth as Teenager and Those. Who Did Not

Figure L4: Racial Composit ion Among Women Receiving AFDC Who Did and Did Not Give Birth as Teenagers

Figure I.5 proportion of F’amilies W ith Four or More Children Among Women Who Gave Birth as Teenagers and Those Who Did

~16:AverageEarnhgsforWorkersAmongWomenWho Gave Birth as Teenagers and for Those Who Did Not Give Birth asTeenagers

Figure L7: proportion of Women Who Gave Birth as Teenagers and Those Who Did Not W ith Incomes Below 50 Percent of the Poverty Line

Abbreviations

Aid to Families ‘with Dependent Children Current PopuMon Survey gener8leql. lMencydiploma Department of Health and Human Services Omnibus Budget Reconcil iation Act of 1981

19 t t

21 1 1

23 k t

25 1 f t

29 1

?9ppendix

Current and Former Teenage Mothers

In this section we analyze chamd&dcs of those women receiving AFDC who first gave b&h when they were tzenagers. We chose this group because stw3.k~ have sugges&d that women who have a child during their teenageyearsmaybeatin~riskofneedingAnx:andlong-termAFDc receipt~~~dataindicatethatalagmayoccurbetweenwhena teenager~her~childandwhenshefirstreceivesAFDc.Giventhir;, weanalyzeddataonallsinglewomenreceivingAnx:~owerecurrently or had been teenage mothers1 Egure I.1 show5 the age composition of the group we malyzed as of 1992.

Figure I.?: Age Contposttion of Women Receivhg AFDC Who Gaw Birth as Teenagers (CPS. 1992)

Id-f9 Years Old

20-24Years Old

I 25 Years Old and Older

source: CPS.

For this group, we looked at its proportion in the AFDC caseload, maria status, educational levels, racial composition current age, Gmilysize, work status, eamings, and total incomes. We looked at changes in these characteristics~~inthecps~m1976to1992.Wenotethatcpsdata

P-12 -34-ll6AFDCWomenWhoc;rvcBfrthas Teenage

on work &tus, eamings, and income describe conditions in the year prior to data collection. For example, a respondent to the March 1992 CPS would provide current demographic databut 1991 annual eamings. We report all cpsdatain’cpsYears,“theyearinwhlchthedatawerecollected.To supplement CPS data on work status, we also used HHS data from 1986 to 1992.

BecauseCPSdataareobtained~asampleof~e~~o~our * esbma@sderivedfromthesedatahaveanasso&&samphngexror. tJnlessotherwise indi~samplingerrcxsforthedatainthisreport were 6 percentage points or less at the 95percent cadence lwel

To invest&a& possible relationships between teenage childbearing and Our selected Vcs, we compared the group of women receiving ~whogavebirthasteenage.rstothegroupofwomenreceivfngAnx: who did not--that is, women who had their first child at age 20 or older.

As noted, the group we ana@ed includes both current teenage mothers as well as those who were teenage mothers. C-t teenage mothers recebhg AFDC, howwer, have been a consistently small proportion of all women receiving AFDC who gave birth as teenagers. The impact. of current teenagers on the characteristic of all women re&ving AFDc who gave birth as teenagers is thus also smalL For example, among all women receiving m who gave birth as teenagers, includirtg current and former teenage mothers, about 47 percent had a high school diplo- When current teenage mothers are notincludedinthis group, the percentage increasesonly percentage points, to about 49 percent

Current and Former Teem@ Mothero

Proportion of Women Who Women receiving AFDC who gave birth as teenagers have remained a Gave Birth as Teenagers constant and sizable proportion of the to&l easel oad-about42percent Remained Stable in the hm 1976 to 1992. (See table Ll.)

AFDC Caseload as a Whole

Fkefving AFbC Who Gave Birth as T-W=

Percent of women who gave birth as teenaaers

source: CPS.

Page 14 -9tL16dPDC Women Who Gave Birch M Teenmgem

-1 CummtandFonner Teenage Metbtm

Pye 16

Growing Proportions of Of women receiving AFDC who gave birth as teenagers, the proportion of Never-Married Women those who never mar&d increased, from about one-third in 1976 to about Among Those Who Did and tw&urds in 1992* h in crease inthe proportion of never-mark& also

Did Not Give Birth as occurred among women who did not give birthas teenagers, from about

Teenagers 14 percent to about 45 percent. The proportion of never-marrieds among women who gave birth as teenagers doubled, Me amoug women who did not give birth as teenagers, the proportion who never marriedmore than tripled. Sti& the proportion of never-married women was consistentiy higher for women who gave birth as teenagers. * (See fig. 12.)

.

Cmrent aad Former Teenage Mothem

Figure 13: Proportion of Never-Married Women Among Women Who Gave Birth as Teenagers and Among Those Who Did Not (CPS. 19X-92)

wonml Women WhoDid

WhoGavm NotGlvr Bhth8# Bwhaa

CPS Ynr Taolmpm Tnn8gm 1976 80.0 143 to80 40.9 22.8 1984 47.0 1988 580 88.9

k

Source: CPS.

Pap2 17 -116 AFDC Womenwho Gave Birthas Tcumgenu

k

Current and Former Teenage Mothera

Women Receiving AFDC Who Gave Birth as Teenagers Less Ldkely to Have a High School Diploma

Despiteincreases in the proportion of those with a high school diploma, the educational attainments of women who gave birth as &enagers lagged behind those of women receiving AFDC who had th& fust child at age 20 or older. In 1976,33 percent of women who gave birth as teenagers had at least ahigh school diploma; in 1992,47 percent did. In contrz$ the proportion of women who did not give birth as teenagers and had at least a high school diploma rose from 43 percent in 1976 to 62 percent in 1992. @= fe L3-I

Page 18 -94-116 AF’DC Women Who Gave Birth aa Tp

-1 thnniradFormaTc+luecMothera

Figure IS: Proportion With a High School Dipiame or Some college Education Among Women Who Gave Birth 8s Tanagers and Those Who Did 08 Not (CPS. 197692) a

55

30 25 a 18

10

5

1070 1m 1504 15s5

CFSYUt

- wommMmoQ8ueBlImul~ -- WunmwhoOtaNolQhwSmufnmgm

SMaea: CPS.

WOfllMl Giz whokur Notoiv,

Birth n BIrtha CPSYOU Tnnaasn T- 1976 88.1 t980 88.2 60.7

1884 41.6 66.8

t888 41.6 693

1982 46.7 62.2

Source: CPS.

P8ge 19

Current aad Fonxter Teenage Modmrs

Racial Composition of Fkom 1976 to 1992, the proportion of white, black, and other women Women Who Gave Birth as receiving AFDC who gave birth as teenagers stayed relatively stable3 In Teenagers Remained About 1992, of women who gave b&h as teenagers, about half were black, about

the Same one third were white, and about a Gfth were Hispanic and other. (See @. 1.4.)

From 1976 to 1992, the proportion of white, blaclq and other women receivingAFDcwhodidnotgiveb~asteenagersalsostayedabout~e same. In 1992, of women who did not give birth as teenagers, about 40 percent were white and 40 percent were black Hispanics and others madeupthe reIMieg20 percent

The racial composition of the two groups, women who gave birth as teenagers and those who did not, dif&red. Compared to women who did not give birth as teenagers, those who did were more likely to be black

Flgure 1.4: Racial CornposItion Among Women Recelvlng AFDC Who Md and Did Not Glw Birth as Teenagers (CPS, 1992)

White

Source: CFS.

Page21

Women Who Did Not Giw Birth as Teenag-

-94-116 AFDC Women Who c;tor Birth an Teemgem

APpcndLr 1 CnmtntaadFomerTeeatqeMotherm

Women Receiving AFDC Who Gave Birth as Teenagers Were More Likely to Have Larger Fan-dies

For women recehhg llFDc who gave birth as teenageq the pruportion of fhmilies with four or more children in 1992 was less than in 1976. However, these women remainmorelikely~havelargerfamiliesthan women who did not give birth as teenagers. For aample, about 18 percent of women receiving AFDC who gave birth as teenagers had four or more children in 1992, but only about 9 percent of women who did not give birth as teenagers had families this size. (See fig. 15.)

Ckmmt and Former Teaage blotbun

t

Figure 1.5: Proportion of Families With Pour or More Children Among Women Who Gave Birth as Teenagers end

~

Those Who Did Not (CPS, 19X-92) 66 60 46 IQ I 60

.

WanWn wmwl WhoDId

WhoGmvm NotGlw Blrthaa 6imlas

CPSYOW 1-n fmrpn 1970 25.1 20.5 1980 l&5 139 lSB4 15.3 8.5 198B 172 7.1 1992 182 0.7

Source: CPS.

GAO-S116 AFDC Women Who Gave B&h aa Tenagers

Women Who Gave Birth as According to both cm and HHS data, the proportion of women receiving Teenagers Earned Less but AEDC who gave birth as teenagers and worked did not differ greatly from Worked in Same the proportion of women who did not give birth as @nagers and worked

proportion For both groups, the proportion of women who worked remained about thesameavertime(about6~~according~~dataandabout 35percentacco~to~~asshownintablesL2andL3).cpsdata may show ahigher proportion of women working because it measures employment when a woman is not necessarily receiving AFDC, whereas HHS datashow only employment while a woman is receiving 4iFDc.Q

Table Ip: Pfopoftion of Women Recelvlng AFDC and Wodcing Among Women Who Dld end Did Not Give Birth as Teenagers (HHS, 1986432) Women who save birth as teenaoers

Y-r 1999 1988 1990 1992

4.6 5.3 5.7 6.0

Women who did not give birth as teenagers 6.6 7.7 7.5 6.9

Source: HHS.

Table IA Prwortion of Women Receiving AFbC and Working at Some Point During a Glven Year Among Women Who Did and Did Not Give Birth as Teenagers (CPS, 197942)

CPS year 1976 1900 1904 1900 1992

Women who gave birth as teenagers 37.3 41.5 26.9 34.1 34.8 Women who did not give birth as teenagers 35.7 39.7 29.7 33.1 34.2

Note: CPS data on work status is collected in a given year for the previous calendar year.

source: CPS.

Among workers, however, women who gave birth as teenagers were more likely to have lower average eamings than women who did not give birth as teenagers. Average eamings in constant 1991 dollars for women who gave b&h as teenagers declined ti almost $7,ooO in the 1976 CPS to about $3,800 in the 1992 cm. For women who did not give birth as teemgem, averageearningsdecJinedIiomabout$7,300toabout$5,400. We note that, for both groups, changes in the Omnibus Budget ReconcilMon Act of 1981 (OBRA) lowered the amount of eamings that recipients could have and still remain eligible for AFDC.~ (See fig. L6.)

me% GAWHEHSS4-116 AFDC Women who Gave Birth aa Tccprseza

qgure 1.6: Avemge kings for Wfkers Among Women Who Gave 3irti-1 as Teenager0 and for Those Who -1wIWlwr Bid Not Gk Birth as Teenagera (CPS. 976-92)

lDoD

tDDD

1ooo

som

y#o

am0

2mo

lwo

0 lS76 lsll l#

- wnmmwhoGue3bmuT~ -- WmmwhoLWNotQhBbthtrT~

source: CPS.

Wornen G!Z whoonr NO301

Birthas Bblh CPB Yam T--Q= 1=-w 1976 6647 73 two 63 1964 50 lg66 48

15 71

Source: CPS

Page 26 ~Sk116 AF’DC Women who Gave 3irUzrs Tcenagem

Some possible explanations for the lower eanings among women who gave birth as teenagers may be that they work fewer hours or earn lower wages. Women who gave birth as teenagers may work fewer hours because of difEculties axTm@cg child care for their larger families. Their wages may be lower because they tend to be less educated than women who did not give birth as teenagers. Also, since the group of women who gave birthas teenagers includes current-e mothers, this group tends to be younger and may therefore have less work experience.

Page 26 -94116 AFDC Women Who Gave Birth M T~crs

Page 27 -!M-116 APDC Women Who Gave Birth aa Tq

t

r

Chrront md Former Teenmgc Mothera

Women Receiving AFDC Among single women receiving AFDC, those who gave birth as teenagers Who Gave Birth as were more likely than those who did not give birth as teenagem to have Teenagers More Likely to total family incomes below 50 percent of the poverty line. In the 1992 CPs,

Have Incomes Below 50 53 percent of women who gave birth as teenagers had total family incomes

Percent of the Poverty Line below 50 percent of the poverty line, while only 41 percent of women who did not give birth as lxsnagm had inconws this low. For both groups, however, the proportion of those with total f&nily incomes below 50 percent of poverty more than doubled between the 1976 CPS and the 1992 CPS. (see &. L7.)

Some possible explanations for the difference in family income between the two groups may be as follows. Women who gave birth as teenagers earn less on average than women who did not give birth as teenagers, although about the same proportion work in both groups. In addition, our analysb in our companion report showed that not having a high school diplomaandhavingalargerfamiyare~o~~thatincrease the likelihood that a woman’s family income will be below 50 percent of the poverty line.6 Women who gave birth as teenagers are more likely to have both these characteristics than women who did not.

gure 1.7: Proportion of Women Who we Birth afi Teenagers and Those wPetua ‘ho Did Not With Incomes Below 50 scent of the Poverty Line (CPS, 56 176-92) so

4s ILLL----lwmBI I $0 6s w w w 16

10

S

0 187s Yaw 1m 1##8 1112

- womemwhoQ4lw8blh#TomMgua -- Wa#nWhoCHdNo~GilwBlllhuTmnage~~

source: CPS.

(Pment)

CPB Year 1976 1960 1984 1988 1992

womsn

w- ii!222 WhoGave Birth as BltthU

T-w- T-m 16.3

29.6 242 516 418 59.5 43.6 528 41.3

t

Page 29

Mayir Contributors to This Report t

Cynthia&t Fagnor& flssbtmt Director, (202) 5E?-7202 Karak Brown, Evaluatm~hatge IindaF. Baker, Senior Ehaluatm Paula J. Benin, Senior Computerspecialis AnnMcDerrnott,Pub~A~r Carol D. Petersen, Senior Economist

Page 80

3lossaly

U Single Mothers AUfemaleheadsoffamilieswiththeirownchildrenunder18andwithno spouse present. This group includes those receiving m and those not receivirlgm.

r

uned Income The 8s defines earn& income as money income received in the preceding calendar year by knily members 15 years old and older from money wages or sahy, net income from nonfarm self-employment, and net income from farm self-employment ,

gh school DipkIma &ceived high !3chool dip~orna or general equivalency diploma (GED).

@e No spouse present in the household A single woman couLd be divorced, widowed, desert& separated, ornever married.

@e Women Receiving DC

Includes all female heads of family who receive AFDC and have children, but no spouse is present. Note: A female head of a family could be the mother, grandmother, aunt, etc.

tal Family Income cps d&es total family income as money income received in the preceding calendar year by t&ily members 15 years old and older from each of the following sources: (I) money wages or salary; (2) net income from nor&m self+mploymen~ (3) net income from farm selfkmploymen~ (4) social security or railroad retirem~~ (5) supplernen~ Security Income; (6) pubIic assistance or welfare payments; (7) interest (on savings or bonds); (8) dividends, income &om estates or trusts, or net rental income; (9) veterans payments or unemployment and workmen’s compematioq (10) private pensions or government employee pensions, (11) alimony or child support, regular contxibutions from persons not living in the household, and other paiodic income. Total income does not include the value of Food Stamps or Medicaid

II

t

Bibliography

Ellwood, David T. Targeting “Would-Be” Long-Term Recipients of AFDC. Department of Health and Human Semkxs, Washington, D-C. : Jaxkuy 1986.

Pavetti, LaDoruu A ?‘he Dynamics of We’re and Work Exploring the Process by Which Young E&h School Graduates and Hi& School Dropouts Work Their Way 08 Welfare= Malcolm wiener Center for Social Policy, Working Paper (H-93-3), Harvard University, July 1993.

Pavet@ LaDonna A “The Dynamhx of Welfare and Work Fxplorhg the Process by Which Women Work Their Way OB Welfare.” Malcolm Wiener Center for social Policy, Work@ Papers: Dissertation Series (#D-93-1), Harvard university, May 1993.

Ruggks, Patricia Welfare Dependency and Its Causes Determinants of the Duration of Welfare SpeJls. U.S. Department of Commerce, Ehreau of the Census, Washington, D.C.: May 1989.

U.S. Congress, House Comm&tee on Ways and Means. Overview of Erditlement Programs 1992 Green Book. Washington DC.: U.S. Govemment FVinting Ofke, 1992.

r t

t

r

E

t

,

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Page 35 GW/EEBS9d-116 AFDC Women Who Gave Birth as Teenagera

Related GAO Products

We&e to Work States Move Unevenly to Serve Teen Parents in JOBS (GAO-74, JuIy 7,X493).

POvertg Trends, 198@8& changes in FamiIy Composition and Income Sources Among the Paor (G~0~l3hfD9234, SepL lO,lQQ2).

Mother-Only Famiiies: tow Eanings Wti Keep MAny (X&en in Poverty (GAOe’HFtD9162, &Y. 2, 19%).

(lMS12) Page 86 GAWBEB-94116 AEDC Women Who Gave Birth an Teenagers

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