Many issues remain unresolved when considering whether the welfare system perpetuates the poverty of its recipients. The debate often focuses on Blacks. No one considers factors such as the self-defined needs of the target population. Cuts in payment programs may be of some value but are not a panacea. (VM)

Community-based organizations provide special services and opportunities to women training for nontraditional occupations. (JOW)

Presents findings of a longitudinal study which examined the possible determinants and consequences of repeat pregnancy among economically disadvantaged young mothers. Reports that early subsequent pregnancies are associated with a number of negative short-term consequences in education, employment, and welfare dependency. (KH)

Various issues concerning adolescent parenthood are discussed including economically disadvantaged teens, poor wages of high school dropouts, single parenthood, lack of reasons to delay parenthood, lack of job skills, and lack of child care facilities that would allow teen parents the opportunity to learn job skills. (CT)

The duplex society, in which the poor live in close proximity to others but in a separate compartment, is already with us. Unless something deeply changes about family income, more than one-third of future generations will come to adulthood having spent a portion of their childhood in official poverty. (RM)

Reviews the Reagan administration's approach to maternal and child health policy. Analyzes the administration's legislative and regulatory efforts in this area and concludes that its goal has been to lessen the national commitment to maternal and child health at a time of heightened need for federal intervention. (CMG)

Most women who maintain families have a strong commitment to the labor force but have lower average educational attainment and earnings, bringing them closer to poverty with each additional child. (JOW)

Based on a study investigating rural poverty in the U.S. subregion termed the "Midsouth," this article indicates that general policies designed to promote rural economic development and reduce poverty will have substantial impact upon poor rural whites while the non-white rural poor will require special programs. (JC)

In 2001, the Tennessee Department of Education identified underperforming schools from across the state as Corrective Action schools. Corrective Action schools are among those that failed to meet federal and state guidelines for adequate yearly progress (AYP). The present study was conducted to examine the key features of 9 Corrective Action…

For too many traumatized children and their families, chronic stressors such as poverty, substance abuse, and family or community violence--coupled with an overburdened care system--pose seemingly insurmountable barriers to treatment. This empowering book provides a user-friendly blueprint for making the most of limited resources to help those…

Student achievement tests consistently show that certain groups of children score far below children in other groups. The data document a strong association between poverty and students' academic success. The achievement gap begins early in children's lives as the result of physical, social, and emotional deprivations. California is attempting to…

This paper provides a framework for estimating the economic benefits of early child development (ECD) programs and applies the framework to preliminary data from the Bolivian ECD program (known as the PIDI Project). The evaluation quantifies the benefits of increased lifetime productivity as a result of ECD enrollment. The evaluation also takes…

As the 39-year-old federal Head Start program once again comes before Congress for reauthorization, several unanswered questions that have dogged the program since its inception should be considered: (1) Does it work? (2) Does it make any difference in the long run? and (3) Will modest changes supported by the Bush Administration gain traction?…