Lectures 1 How do rates of teen pregnancy in 2011 compare to rates over the past century 05 13 2015 Stable except for baby boom 2001 had record low rates Are there differences by race ethnicity o Highest rates of pregnancy for Latinos o Second for blacks o Lowest for whites Concerns over teen pregnancy o Welfare receipt o Decline postponement of marriage o Sexual activity STDs How do concerns over welfare dependency decline of marriage influence discussions of teen pregnancy Sexual activity among single teens is increasing How does the perception of limited life options lead to teen childbirths Inherited disadvantage precedes o Poor rural disadvantaged minority families or headed by single mother Discouragement precedes o Not doing well in school o Lower measured abilities o Lower expectations o Perception of limited life options May want to feel like they have a purpose feel loved NOT a welfare receipt What are the consequences of teen mothers as they reach their late 20s Teen moms have o Poorer health o More low birth weight babies stillborns newborn deaths By late 20s o Less likely to finish high school o More likely to use welfare Welfare is more of a consequence than a cause o More likely to get divorced or never marry What has research shown to be the most effective programmatic approach to reducing rates of teen pregnancy Community based programs with a comprehensive approach o Promote young women s health Sexual education Access to contraceptives reproductive healthcare o Change declining rates of marriage o Support youth development Expanding life skills life options Changing attitudes adult behavior o Move young families out of poverty o Provide better education Why has poverty become feminized over time 3 factors Changes in families o Delay in age of first marriage o Rise in divorce o Increase in children born outside marriage o Increase in non family households Especially for young adults elderly o Increase in life expectancy Changes in economy o Women s labor force participation increases Especially for married women mothers Low paying jobs o Gaps in earnings is decreasing but women still make less than men on average o Men s earnings have stagnated or declined Changes in public benefits o TANF for younger women o Social Security for older women Other facts o 2 of every 3 adults in poverty are women o Less than 20 of all families are female headed households BUT 1 2 of all families in poverty are female headed households o Female headed families are 15 times more likely to be poor for 2 straight years than married couples 2 How do women seek resources to make ends meet for their children Work based strategies o Short term strategies to make some money o Doing things that would not need extensive training or a degree o Child care clean cook braid hair paint nails Network strategies o Help from family friends men o Using networks as resources Agency based strategies o Food stamps cash assistance o Using agencies that can provide resources Why is mothering in poverty more about survival than choice More to lose Less amount of options What is a marriageability pool and how does sex ratio figure into women s decisions about relationships Pool of men suitable for marriage Sex ratio fewer marriageable men fewer men with stable jobs etc than women o High bar for marriage o Fear of divorce Have more to lose no one else to depend on Perceptions of low income men o Unworthy as marital partners o Risks due to violence drugs crime o Anxiety about reliability Why is there a discrepancy between the values the behaviors of low income mothers Value behavior discrepancy o Kin networks o Relaxed paternal expectations Just be there for children do not have to be the main provider but provide something o Flexible maternal role Grandmothers aunts other women play important Have to use strategies to survive whether or not they follow their roles personal values 3 What was the purpose for the creation of the ADC program in 1935 Aid for Dependent Children To support poor children whose parents are dead deserted or incapacitated What are some of the myths of welfare what are the facts behind them Myth once on welfare always on welfare o Fact 2 3 are off within 3 years Myth welfare recipients do not want to work o Fact less than 1 2 do not work o Fact most use it to supplement income o Fact child only families are unable to work Myth children raised on welfare use welfare o Fact 2 3 of daughters of highly dependent welfare users do not go on to use welfare Myth most women on welfare are African American o Fact Split pretty evenly between blacks whites o Fact Hispanics make up 26 Myth Welfare causes families to break up o Fact poverty can cause strains but direct cause is not welfare Myth Women on welfare have kids for money o Fact each year women are on welfare the less likely it becomes for them to have more children Myth women on welfare have lots of kids o Fact in 2011 51 of women on welfare had 1 child Myth most teen mothers turn to welfare o Fact 5 of women on welfare are teenagers Myth payments are too generous o Fact average monthly cash payment for a family with 1 child is 375 What is the lifetime limit for receipt of public assistance under welfare reform Cash benefits Food stamps o 60 months 5 years over entire lifetime o 3 months in a given 3 year period if adult is not working What counts as a work activity Unsubsidized work volunteer Subsidized work Work experience On the job training Community service Workfare Education Length o For at least 20 hours after first 24 days o Must average 30 hours for receipt What is a family cap an illegitimacy bonus Family cap o Child exclusion o States cannot provide aid for children conceived while mother receives welfare o Disincentive for having more children o Prevents mothers from having more children to get more money which is really a myth Illegitimacy bonus o Given to states who reduce ratio of out of wedlock births to total births keeping abortion rates at 1995 level What is required of mothers who receive welfare regarding the fathers of their children Welfare is terminated if mothers do not identify the father of their children o Name address SSN How is welfare linked to other benefits such as Food Stamps or Medicaid AFDC receipt was packaged with food stamps Medicaid o Funds to pay for delinking o Diversion of recipients still eligible for other benefits TANF now linked to CHIP programs children s health care Administrative obstacles