Welfare, Work, and Well-being among Inner-City Minority

Mothers

Welfare, Work, and Well-being among Inner-City Minority Mothers 

Kathleen S. Crittenden, Seijeoung Kim, Kaoru Watanabe, Kathleen F. Norr, Evelyn Lehrer University of Illinois at Chicago

 Learning Objectives: 1) Describe patterns of welfare, work, and fertility over a three-year period among minority, low-income, inner-city mothers. 2) Explain work participation. 3) Consider the causal impact of employment and other predictors on well-being.

 We describe changes over time in work, welfare, and fertility among 435 minority, low-income, inner-city mothers from pregnancy through their babies’ first three years. We use multi-level logistic and linear regression to model employment status (working; working full time) and well-being (depression, self-esteem, and difficult life circumstances) at 12, 24, and 36 months. Non-time-varying predictors are mother’s ethnicity (African American vs. Mexican American); age; parity; and education; recent household employment experience; birth cohort; and initial welfare participation. Time and fertility (repeat pregnancy at 12, 24, and 36 months) are nested within individuals.

 Welfare participation, initially 80%, declined to 46% by 36 months. Repeat pregnancy varied from 12% in the first year to 29% in the third. Maternal employment increased from 12% at intake to 44% at 36 months. Likelihood of working was enhanced by high school education and household work experience, and hindered by repeat pregnancy. Time and ethnicity interacted with initial welfare status. Among those initially on welfare, working increased over time; among non-welfare-recipients, African Americans were more likely to work. Full-time employment increased with time (from 6% to 29%), high school education, and household employment experience; repeat pregnancy decreased it. When causally prior predictors were controlled, working per se had no influence on well-being. Working full time decreased difficult life circumstances but did not affect depression or self-esteem.

Acknowledgments

Funded by AHCPR; NINR; UIC College of Nursing, Great Cities Institute, & Center for Research on Women and Gender.

Purposes

• To describe patterns of welfare, work, and fertility over a three-year period among minority, low-income, inner-city mothers.

• To explain work participation.

• To consider the causal impact of employment and other predictors on maternal well-being.

Study Design

• Data from a randomized clinical trial of a home visiting program to improve infant health.

• Low-income mothers recruited from prenatal clinics in low-income Chicago neighborhoods, 1993 – 1996.

• Interviewed at intake, 2, 6, 12, 18, 24, & 36M.

• 345 mothers (72%) retained at 24 months.

Initial Sample Characteristics

• All Medicaid-eligible

• 80% on AFDC

• 68% African American, 32% Mexican American

• 60% aged 20+

• 55% primiparas

• 50% have HS education or GED

• 57% have work experience

Analysis

• Multi-level logistic and linear regression

– Time nested within individuals

• Outcomes at 12, 24, & 36M

– Employment (working; working full time)

– Well-being (difficult life circumstances; depression; self-esteem)

Predictors

• Non-time varying

– Ethnicity; age; parity; education; recent HH employment experience; birth cohort; initial welfare participation

• Time varying

– Time; repeat pregnancy at 12, 24, & 36M

Trends Over 36M

• Welfare participation declined: 80% 46%

• Repeat pregnancy increased: 12% 29%

• Employment increased: 12% 44%

• Difficult life circumstances (DLC) decreased: 4 2.5

• Depression (CESD) declined: 17 13

• Self-esteem (Rosenberg) increased.

Consequences of Initial AFDC Participation for

Later WorkInitial AFDC participation

•did not inhibit later employment rates

•but was associated with lower likelihood of working full time

% E

mp

loym

en

t

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

Working FT, No AFDC

Working PT, No AFDC

Working FT, AFDC

Working PT, AFDC

313119

15

88

18

10

2928

11

4

16

21

13

6

Employment over Time, by Initial AFDC Status

Likelihood of working at all:

• Enhanced by HS education and HH work experience.

• Hindered by repeat pregnancy.

• Among initial welfare recipients, increased over time.

• Among non-welfare recipients, higher for African Americans.

Likelihood of working full time:

• Increased over time after birth.

• Hindered by repeat pregnancy.

• Enhanced by HS education and HH work experience.

Controlling for causally prior predictors:

• Working per se has no effect on well-being(difficult life circumstances, depression, self-

esteem).

• Working full time– decreases difficult life circumstances.

– has no effect on depression or self-esteem.

Difficult life circumstances:

• Decreased over time after birth.

• Higher for multiparas and initial welfare recipients.

Depression:

• Decreased over time after birth.

• Increased by repeat pregnancy.

• Higher for initial welfare recipients.

• Decreased by HS education and work experience.

Self-Esteem:

• Increased over time after birth.

• Higher for African Americans.

• Increased by HS education and work experience.

Conclusions

• Human capital investments (education & work experience) enhance employment activity and well-being among poor, inner-city mothers.

• Repeat pregnancies depress work activity.

• Family life cycle exerts strong influence on work activity and well-being.

Conclusions 2

• Welfare participation around the time of birth allows a women to concentrate on parenting responsibilities at this critical time.

• This initial welfare participation may facilitate rather than inhibit later work activity.

Conclusions 3

• Employment available to poor, inner-city mothers does not remove them from poverty.

• Working per se does not affect well-being.

• Employment reduces difficult life circumstances only if it is full time.

Implications for Welfare Policy

• Moving welfare recipients out of poverty will require greater investment in human capital.

• It is essential to protect the access of new mothers to short term welfare benefits without work requirements.

• Modification of TANF to incorporate family planning services could facilitate the welfare to work process.