Abstract
The passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act and decisions about its re-authorization have resurrected interest in the impact of maternal employment on child outcomes in poor families. The emerging evidence suggests that employment stability among former welfare recipients is a key factor in making successful transitions from welfare to work. This investigation explores how changes in maternal employment in poor families relate to high school completion among at risk youths. Our findings show that a substantial number of mothers experience unstable employment patterns. This instability is positively correlated with dropout among adolescents. The paper concludes with policy implications for the next phase of welfare reform.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexander, K., Entwisle, D., & Horsey, C. (1997). From first grade forward: Early foundations of high school dropout. Sociology of Education, 70, 87–107.
Allison, P. (1984). Event history analysis. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.
Allison, P. (1995). Survival analysis using the SAS system. Cary: SAS Institute.
Bjarnason, T. (2000). Grooming for success? The impact of adolescent society on early intergenerational social mobility. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 21, 319–342.
publications_l5.html}
Bok, M., & Simmons, L. (2002). Post-welfare reform, low-income families and the dissolution of the safety net. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 23, 217–238.
Child Trends. (2002, April). The unfinished business of welfare reform: Improving prospects for poor children and youth. Retrieved August 1, 2003, from http://childtrends. org/PDF/UnfinishedBusinessofWR.pdf
Connell, J., Spencer, M., & Aber, J. (1994). Educational risk and resilience in African-American youth: Context, self, action, and outcomes in school. Child Development,65, 493–506.
Duncan, G. (1988). The volatility of family income over the life course. Life-Span Development and Behavior, 9, 317–358.
Duncan, G., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2000). Family poverty, welfare reform, and child development. Child Development, 71, 188–196.
Ensminger, M., & Slusarcick, A. (1992). Paths to high school graduation or dropout: A longitudinal study of a first grade cohort. Sociology of Education, 65, 95–113.
Gail, M, Wieand, S., & Piantadosi, S. (1984). Biased estimates of treatment effect in randomized experiments with nonlinear regressions and omitted covariates. Biometrika, 77, 431–444.
Gleason, P., & Dynarski, M. (2002). Do we know whom to serve? Issues in using risk factors to identify dropouts. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 7, 25–41.
Goldschmidt, P., & Wang, J. (1999). When can schools affect dropout behavior? A longitudinal multilevel analysis. American Educational Research Journal, 36, 715–738.
Guo, G., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Harris, K. (1996). Parents' labor force attachment and grade retention among urban black children. Sociology of Education, 69, 217–236.
Haveman, R., Wolfe, B., & Spaulding, J. (1991). Childhood events and circumstances influencing high school completion. Demography, 28, 133–157.
Jimerson, S., Egeland, L., Sroufe, A., & Carlson, B. (2000). A prospective longitudinal study of high school dropouts: Examining multiple predictors across development. Journal of School Psychology, 38, 525–549.
Mahoney, J., & Cairns, B. (1997). Do extracurricular activities protect against early school dropout? Developmental Psychology, 13, 241–253.
McLoyd, V. (1998). Socioeconomic disadvantage and child development. American Psychologist, 53, 185–204.
McLoyd, V., Jayaratne, T., Ceballo, R., & Borquez, J. (1994). Unemployment and work interruption among African American single mothers: Effects on parenting and adolescent socioemotional functioning. Child Development, 65, 562–589.
publications_25.html}
Newmann, F. (1992). Student engagement and achievement in American secondary schools. New York: Teachers College Press.
Orthner, D. (1996). Families in poverty: Key issues in research. Journal of Family Issues, 17, 588–593.
Parcel, T., & Menaghan, E. (1997). Effects of low-wage employment on family well being. The Future of Children, 7(1), 116–122.
Pavetti, L., & Strong, D. (2001). Work-based strategies for hard-to-employ TANF recipients: A preliminary assessment of program models and dimensions. Retrieved August 1, 2003, from Mathematica Policy Research Inc. http://www.mathematicmpr. com/PDFs/workbasedTANF.pdf.
Rosenthal, B. (1998). Non-school correlates of dropout: An integrative review of the literature. Children and Youth Services Review, 20, 413–433.
Rumberger, R. (2004). What can be done to prevent and assist school dropouts? In P. Allen-Meares & M. Fraser (Eds.), Interventions with children and adolescents (pp. 311–334). Boston: Pearson Education Inc.
generation_working_papers.html}
Shields, M., & Behrman, R. (2002). Children and welfare reform: Analysis and recommendations. The Future of Children, 12(1), 5–25.
Teachman, J., Paasch, K., Day, R., & Carver, K. (1997). Poverty during adolescence and subsequent educational attainment. In G. Duncan & J. Brooks-Gunn (Eds.), Consequences of growing up poor (pp. 382–418). New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
Tout, K., Scarpa, J., & Zaslow, M. (2002). Children of current and former welfare recipients: Similarly at risk. Retrieved August 1, 2003, from Child Trends. http:// www.childtrends.org/PDF/leaversRB302.pdf
Trussell, J., & Richards, T. (1985). Correcting for unmeasured heterogeneity in hazard models using the Heckman-Singer procedure. Sociological Methodology, 14, 242–276.
Trzcinski, E. (2002). Middle school children's perceptions on welfare and poverty: An exploratory, qualitative study. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 23, 339–359.
U.S. Bureau of the Census (1988). Statistical abstract of the United States: 1988 (108th ed.). Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Educational Statistics (2001a). Dropout rates in the United States: 1999. NCES 2001-022. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
U.S. Department of Education. National Center for Educational Statistics (2001b). Educational achievement and Black-White inequality. NCES 2001-061. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2001). Indicators of welfare dependence: Annual report to Congress 2001. Retrieved July 1, 2002, from http:// aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/indicators01 /index.htm
Wolfer, L., & Moen, P. (1996). Staying in school. Journal of Family Issues, 77, 540–560.
Zaslow, M., Moore, K., Brooks, J., Morris, P., Tout, K., Redd, Z., & Emig, C. (2002). Experimental studies of welfare reform and children. The Future of Children, 12 (1) , 79–95.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Randolph, K.A., Rose, R.A., Fraser, M.W. et al. Examining the Impact of Changes in Maternal Employment on High School Completion Among Low-Income Youth. Journal of Family and Economic Issues 25, 279–299 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JEEI.0000039943.84765.0a
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JEEI.0000039943.84765.0a