Mothers' Transitions from Welfare to Work and the Well-Being of Preschoolers and Adolescents

Chase‐Lansdale, P. Lindsay; Moffitt, Robert A.; Lohman, Brenda J.; Cherlin, Andrew J.; Coley, Rebekah Levine; Pittman, Laura D.; Roff, Jennifer; Votruba‐Drzal, Elizabeth

doi:10.1126/science.1076921

Cited by 192 publications

(180 citation statements)

References 12 publications

(11 reference statements)

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“…Thus, child age may serve as a moderator of the link between welfare and work experiences and family processes. For example, Chase-Lansdale et al (2003) reported that low-income mothers' movements into employment following welfare reform predicted decreases in time spent with young children, but little change in time spent with adolescents, who are in school and other activities much of the day regardless of parental work behavior. As another example, young children's need for alternate care arrangements may increase the financial demands for families moving into employment, hence exacerbating links between new employment and financial strain for families of younger versus older children.…”

Section: Effects Of Child Agementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a demographic overview, Bianchi (2000) found that dramatic increases in maternal employment over the past decades have not brought with them substantial decreases in the time mothers spend with their children. Because employed mothers tend to spend less time in leisure and other non-child activities, they compensate for time away from their children due to work (Chase-Lansdale et al, 2003). …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, economic theory suggests that changes in mothers' time with children must be considered in concert with changes in income. In the Three-City Study, the benefits from increases in income due to employment may have been canceled out by decreases in the time that mothers spend with children (Chase-Lansdale et al, 2003). Similarly, increases in time with children due to welfare receipt may not have had much influence on child development because of declines in income.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Maternal functioning, time, and money: The world of work and welfare

Coley

Lohman

Votruba‐Drzal

et al. 2007

Children and Youth Services Review

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Numerous studies have assessed families' employment and financial stability following welfare reform. Yet little research has addressed whether welfare and work transitions are linked with other changes in family functioning. Using a representative sample of approximately 2,000 low-income urban families from the Three-City Study, analyses assessed whether mothers' welfare and employment experiences over a two-year period following welfare reform were related to changes in family well-being. Lagged regression models controlling for family characteristics and earlier levels of functioning found that moving into employment and stable employment (of 30 hours or more per week) were linked to substantial increases in income and improvements in mothers' psychological well-being. Movements into employment also were associated with declines in financial strain and food insecurity. Sustained or initiated welfare receipt was related to relative declines in income, physical health, and psychological well-being, but also to improved access to medical care. In contrast, mothers' welfare and work experiences showed very limited relations to changes in the quality of parenting or of children's home environments. These patterns were similar for families with young children and those with adolescent children. Results suggest that parenting behaviors are more resistant to change than are maternal emotional and economic functioning.Vociferous welfare reform debates in the 1990s reflected arguments concerning how moving low-income mothers out of welfare dependency and into stable employment would affect women's well-being and the family environments provided to children. Some viewpoints held that leaving dependency and moving into self-sufficiency would help boost the financial resources of families and enhance economic security. Moreover, the experiences of employment-becoming economically self-sufficient, gaining new skills and social connections, and creating a new work identity-would improve low-income women's selfCorresponding author: Rebekah Levine Coley, Associate Professor, Lynch School of Education, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, coleyre@bc.edu, Phone: 617-552-6018. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptChild Youth Serv Rev. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2007 August 14. Published in final edited form as:Child Youth Serv Rev. 2007 June ; 29(6): 721-741. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author Manuscript esteem and psychological well-being. Finally, it was hoped that the...

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Section: Effects Of Child Agementioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Maternal functioning, time, and money: The world of work and welfare

Coley

Lohman

Votruba‐Drzal

et al. 2007

Children and Youth Services Review

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“…For example, it has been used in the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey and in the Abecedarian study. It has also been used in studies of the effect of maternal employment on children's educational outcomes (Chase-Lansdale et al, 2003). We specifically chose subtests that are thought to be appropriate for relatively young children, including pre-K children (Mather & Woodcock, 2001): Letter-Word Identification, Spelling, and Applied Problems.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Universal Pre-K on Cognitive Development.

Gormley¹,

Gayer²,

Phillips³

et al. 2005

Developmental Psychology

545

359

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In this study of Oklahoma's universal pre-K program, the authors relied on a strict birthday eligibility criterion to compare "young" kindergarten children who just completed pre-K to "old" pre-K children just beginning pre-K. This regression-discontinuity design reduces the threat of selection bias. Their sample consisted of 1,567 pre-K children and 1,461 kindergarten children who had just completed pre-K. The authors estimated the impact of the pre-K treatment on Woodcock-Johnson Achievement test scores. The authors found test impacts of 3.00 points (0.79 of the standard deviation for the control group) for the Letter-Word Identification score, 1.86 points (0.64 of the standard deviation of the control group) for the Spelling score, and 1.94 points (0.38 of the standard deviation of the control group) for the Applied Problems score. Hispanic, Black, White, and Native American children all benefit from the program, as do children in diverse income brackets, as measured by school lunch eligibility status. The authors conclude that Oklahoma's universal pre-K program has succeeded in enhancing the school readiness of a diverse group of children.

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“…Much of the reported research in the literature focuses on the benefits of working mothers [6]. Galinsky [7] found that 81% of 13-18 year olds believed working mothers can have as good a relationship with their children as do stay-at-home mothers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Qualitative Study of Mothers Who Work Full-Time as Hospital Floor Nurses

Firmin

Pathammavong

2012

IJANS

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We conducted qualitative interviews with a sample of 13 female floor nurses in a Midwest hospital. The women worked full-time and also had children at home for whom they provided care. The overall four results include particular challenges they faced in their dual-roles, including separating home from work, high stress, sleep deprivation, odd hours, and difficulty in advancing due to home life pressures. The nurses also related perceived assets and drawbacks of their profession for the given season of life. They described what they believed to be necessities for success in the dual-roles of professional nurse and care taker. Last, they related two wish-list components they desired at this point their careers as they engaged in child rearing.

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Mothers' Transitions from Welfare to Work and the Well-Being of Preschoolers and Adolescents

Cited by 192 publications

References 12 publications

Maternal functioning, time, and money: The world of work and welfare

Maternal functioning, time, and money: The world of work and welfare

The Effects of Universal Pre-K on Cognitive Development.

A Qualitative Study of Mothers Who Work Full-Time as Hospital Floor Nurses

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