In the nation today, 4.6 million young adults ages 16 to 24 are out of school and unemployed. More than one-third live in poverty. For these young people, commonly referred to as opportunity youth, building skills and gaining work experience are key to upward mobility. However, they face significant barriers to entering the labor market.…

Nearly half of the nation's families with young children struggle to make ends meet. A new KIDS COUNT policy report makes the case for creating opportunity for families by addressing the needs of parents and their children simultaneously. "Creating Opportunity for Families: A Two-Generation Approach" describes a new approach to reducing…

Opportunity NYC-Family Rewards, an experimental, privately funded, conditional cash transfer (CCT) program to help families break the cycle of poverty, was the first comprehensive CCT program in a developed country. Launched in 2007 by New York City's Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO), Family Rewards offered cash assistance to low-income…

This paper attempts to provide a general equilibrium framework for comparing the merits of alternative methods of raising the income of the employable poor. The strategy is to specify a complete and interacting set of factor markets, parameterize alternative program types in a manner convenient to this specification, and then solve the system of…

An overview is given of conditions linked to the causes and perpetuation of poverty. These factors include large family size, unemployment, lack of education, and social and personal disorganization. Family planning services are important but by themselves tend to be ineffective and programs should be launched which would improve the total life…

This hearing reviews testimony concerning H.R. 2246, the Jobs for Employable Dependent Individuals Act (JEDI). JEDI is a voluntary program whereby states receive additional funds to fight the problem of chronic welfare dependency and poverty. The bill would require the existing Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) to target job training efforts at…

This document contains transcripts of hearings on employment and the social costs of unemployment. During the hearings, testimony and prepared statements were taken from persons involved with unemployment programs, with Black community leaders, union representatives, teachers' representatives, police officials, and research professionals about the…

This paper analyzes the role the community college plays as a bridge to opportunity for the working poor and economically disadvantaged. Because educating the disadvantaged is expensive and often under-funded--particularly in the area of basic or remedial education--many community colleges opt to focus on educating more advantaged students in…

In 1998, Washington state passed into law WorkFirst, its version of the federal welfare reform program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Colleges were funded for four training programs: (1) Pre-Employment Training; (2) Tuition Assistance; (3) Workplace Basic Skills; and (4) Families That Work. This paper presents the overall…

In 1998, Washington passed into law WorkFirst, its version of the federal welfare reform program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Colleges were funded for four training programs: (1) Pre-Employment Training; (2) Tuition Assistance; (3) Workplace Basic Skills; and (4) Families That Work. This paper presents the overall second-year…

This book examines the condition of America's poor and the policies used to help them, demonstrating that government aid has been far more effective in reducing poverty than most people think. One of the primary points of the book is that poverty is not synonymous with single mothers and their children on welfare; in fact, the majority of the poor…

This book analyzes the responses of five states (Florida, Mississippi, New York, Washington, and Wisconsin) to challenges posed by the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 to alter state welfare programs and management systems. Using case studies, the book highlights similarities and differences in the states'…

WOMEN'S TALENT CORPS, FUNDED BY THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, WILL MEET TWO SOCIAL PROBLEMS IN NEW YORK CITY--JOB SHORTAGES IN COMMUNITY SERVICES AND UNEMPLOYMENT AND LACK OF TRAINING AMONG THE POOR. WOMEN WILL BE RECRUITED FROM LOW-INCOME NEIGHBORHOODS AND TRAINED AS PRE-PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANTS IN SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, AND SOCIAL AGENCIES…