Examines the development of Federal job training programs, including the Job Corps, the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP), and the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA). Argues that these programs have actually harmed participants and wasted millions of tax dollars. (FMW)

This article discusses the theoretical underpinnings of different types of income poverty measures--absolute, relative, and a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) "quasi-relative" one--and empirically assesses them by tracking their performance over time and across demographic groups. Part of the assessment involves comparing these measures to…

This article discusses the ten-year plan for the development of basic education in Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso has to meet a major challenge, which consists of reducing poverty among the population, reducing exposure to crises of all kinds, and reducing inequality between regions and between different socio-economic sectors. In order to achieve…

What might family support services look like in the reconfigured children and family services after the Children Act? This is the question this article attempts to explore by drawing on evidence from the National Evaluation of the Children's Fund in England. The article describes common features in two case-study sites that might indicate the…

This report provides a detailed examination of the various federal programs for children and families and outlines ways in which the United States Congress and Executive Branch could make these programs work better. Intricate and often overlapping goals and actions are typical of the Congressional committees and Executive Branch departments that…

Nearly 80 means-tested programs for low-income persons and families have been created by the federal government to help meet the needs of various groups. In fiscal year 1992, the federal government spent about $208 billion through these programs. Evaluation of these programs was based on reports by the General Accounting Office (GAO) and others.…

This analysis of how plans to balance the budget are likely to affect the public considers the latest Republican offer and the Democratic administration's offer of January 18, 1996, as well as pending action on the fiscal year 1996 appropriations bills. The analysis finds that the latest Republican offer, in conjunction with pending and enacted…

A study examined the effectiveness of programs funded under Title II-A of the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) in raising female recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) above poverty. Data about the employment/earnings outcomes of nearly 6,500 women from 150 JTPA service delivery areas in 11 states who participated in a…

The anti-poverty impact of government benefit programs has decreased since 1979 due to budget cuts during the Reagan Administration and the failure of states to keep benefits up with inflation. Since 1979, 30 percent of the increase in poverty has been among families with children, and half of the increase since 1981 is due to the declining…

Poverty has risen faster in recent years under measures of poverty that include the value of non-cash benefits. The Census Bureau recently issued nine measures of poverty which make the poverty population appear unrealistically small. In summary, these measures do the following: (l) count non-cash benefits because they include household purchasing…

This report presents the findings of an evaluation of goal accomplishment at Young Volunteers in Action (YVA) projects at three sites: ALexander City, Alabama; Gainesville, Florida; and New Orleans, Louisiana. First, a brief introduction describes the YVA program and discusses the evaluation approach. The next three sections present case studies…

This report provides data and discusses trends in the demography and economics of Latinos. It was compiled in response to a request from Latino leaders for information on the needs of their constituents. In general the trends show that Latinos are falling through the safety net that government agencies are supposed to provide. Changes in the…

Some observers believe that welfare programs have an urban bias; however, the rate of poverty is higher in rural than in urban areas. This study establishes metro and nonmetro differences in the use of welfare and the degree to which it reduces poverty. Data from the U. S. Census Bureau's March 1987 Current Population Survey are analyzed using…

This report examines the adequacy of the standard of need used by the State of Nevada to determine eligibility for the Aid to Families with Dependent Children program (ADC). Nevada's standard of $285 per month for a family of 3 ranked 49 out of 54 states and political entities. The current standard is reviewed in relation to the present cost of…

As part of Child Watch, a national monitoring project set up in 1982 to determine the effects of Federal funding cuts and changes in health and social programs on children from low-income families, three programs in New York City were chosen for study. The three programs, which provided health services for low-income children and their mothers,…