We’re Not All Deadbeat Parents: Welfare Recipient Voices on Unmet Service Needs

May 2012

Sandra K. Danziger, Jessica Wiederspan, and J. A. Siegel, University of Michigan

Download '2012-14-NPC-Working-Paper.pdf'

Abstract

Studies since the 1996 welfare reform found caseload reductions and little improvements in well being. This paper provides qualitative analysis of program experiences a decade later. From telephone interviews of Michigan recipients, we observed that respondents' identify one of four combinations of needs for services. They highlighted unmet needs for further education, health-related challenges, interim unemployment-related services, or concrete help with cyclical low wage work. The depth and duration of joblessness and hardship of the Recession and recent state-level cutbacks underscore the urgency of client-driven policy guidelines to address the diverse challenges of low income families.

Keywords:
Marriage, Family Formation and Reproductive Issues