Citation URL: http://www.urban.org/MartaPernas

The state reports describe the safety net and health care programs in place for low-income people on the eve of welfare reform. The reports also analyze the particular circumstances that are shaping the state's response to the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). The state reports are based on case studies in the respective state.

There are two Highlights for each state. The income support and social services Highlights look at basic income support programs, employment and training programs, child care, child support enforcement, and the last-resort safety net. The Highlights capture policies in place and planned in 1996 and early 1997.

There is a glaring gap in teen pregnancy prevention efforts: information about how males could and should participate in programs to prevent teen pregnancy. This guide, funded by the California Wellness Foundation, fills that gap. The authors profile the male partners of teenage mothers to help planners understand the behaviors that need to be changed. They show planners how to get male teens involved through detailed descriptions of 24 of the nation's most promising prevention programs. Areas covered include the programs' funding and staffing, the barriers they have faced and overcome, and lessons they have learned about involving young men in their efforts.

This report describes the exceptional challenges faced by some families that make it difficult for them to seek employment or to sustain employment over the long term. This report summarizes information from case studies in eight state and local programs that have expanded the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) program or have developed programs outside of the welfare system to address the needs of these families. Furthermore, the report examines the issues that are important to consider when designing such programs.

Return to list of authors