How Are They Managing? A Six Month Retrospective of Cuyahoga County Families Leaving Welfare (original) (raw)
This report provides interim findings from a study of families leaving welfare in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The study is designed to monitor the status of families leaving cash assistance at multiple times and to compare the experiences of exit cohorts drawn at quarterly intervals throughout the process of welfare reform implementation. The report also describes differences in exiting families' experiences before and after time limits go into effect. This report covers exit cohorts from quarter 4, 1998 and quarter 1, 1999. A total of 8,265 assistance groups left cash assistance during this time period (8,768 adults and 16,213 children). Interviews were conducted with members of 198 assistance groups in these quarters. More than half of respondents said they left cash assistance on their own, and the main reason was usually connected to income, earnings, or family changes. It is estimated that 55% of families leaving cash assistance had incomes below the poverty level by the sixth month, and 14% of these lived below 50% of poverty. The level of work among survey respondents was high, with about 87% having held at least one job during the 6-month period. Most of the employed were not offered health benefits through their jobs, and most had experienced at least one hardship by the sixth month. Findings indicate the high levels of low-income employment among those who have left welfare cash assistance. Contains 23 figures.(SLD) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.
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