By providing early access to education, early childhood and community-based programs are helping to close the achievement gap prevalent among children from impoverished homes.

Following an executive summary and introduction, the report is divided into four chapters. Chapter 1 presents evidence of hunger in Texas, which is revealed to be a growing problem. Statistics on the number of persons living in poverty, unemployed persons not receiving unemployment insurance benefits, and persons seeking food assistance from both…

In the absence of Federal job initiatives, over 14 million people cannot find full or part-time work. According to a report issued by the Full Employment Action Council and the National Committee for Full Employment, they are casualties of shifts in the economy and of deficit spending that favors the affluent and the military over the poor and the…

Today more than half of the women in America raising children on their own get no financial support from the fathers. The article considers the following aspects of states' roles in dealing with that problem: (1) states' powers and alternatives for action; (2) difficulties faced by states in applying those powers; and (3) suggestions for…

These three brochures discuss important issues related to child welfare. The first, "Family Support: A New Approach to Child Well-Being," summarizes this philosophy of community service. Family support is defined and differentiated from traditional services; its advantages are outlined; and specific family support programs in…

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania analyzed data from the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare concerning rural homelessness for fiscal years 1997 through 1999. Findings indicate that rural Pennsylvania has a homeless population and it is growing. In 1999, more than 21,700 clients received homeless assistance in rural areas, 44 percent of whom…

States where a large proportion of the poor are rural residents or racial/ethnic minorities provided less welfare support per poor child under Aid to Families with Dependent Children than did other states. No corresponding rural or racial/ethnic disadvantage was observed for the Food Stamp program, which has nationwide eligibility criteria and…

Researchers assembled a database of current and projected information on the following: welfare recipients; other female participants in the labor market; employment, occupational availability, and job openings; and occupational characteristics. The database was used in a multistep process to project the number of women forced to leave welfare…

This report provides information on the following: (1) the percentage of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) households receiving food stamp benefits, both nationally and by state; and (2) some of the reasons why the AFDC households in some states may not have higher food stamp participation rates. In fiscal year 1986, 83.4 percent of…

Large percentages of preschool children in Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia live in poverty and receive no benefits from society's "safety nets." County estimates for unemployment and per capita income (1985-1987) indicate that economic conditions are most severe in central West Virginia, eastern Kentucky,…

This report examines state earned income tax credits (EICs) as a means to assist working poor families to escape poverty. Specifically, the report notes that six states have their own EICs, expressed as a percentage of the federal EIC, with the advantages being that the credit is a reward for work, is a pro-family policy, is efficiently targeted,…

These hearings before the Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs are organized in several parts, of which this document is the first. These hearings begin with opening statements by a number of Senators. Following these, presentations are made by such witnesses as the following: Rev. Jesse Jackson, national director, Operation…

In 1998, the Illinois statewide coalition Work, Welfare and Families, in partnership with the Chicago Urban League, undertook a study to assess the effects of welfare reform on low-income families and children across Illinois. The findings were derived from three sources: a self-administered survey of 2,166 low-income clients of Illinois social…

With the passage of federal welfare reform in 1996, accountability for the well-being of low-income families has shifted substantially from the federal government to the states, making it increasingly important to assess the economic well-being of children at the state level. This research brief examines the differences in poverty rates for…

Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) is unsatisfactory: it is biased against the poor, and allows the government to control the poor. Evaluates Massachusetts' Employment and Training (ET) program, and New Jersey's Realizing Economic Achievement (REACH) program. Offers recommendations for REACH and for an improved Federal welfare program.…