DOES SUBSIDIZED CHILD-CARE AVAILABILITY PROMOTE WELFARE INDEPENDENCE OF MOTHERS ON AFDC - AN EXPERIMENTAL-ANALYSIS

This article examines the degree to which the expanded availability of publicly subsidized child care in local communities may promote, thro ugh employment, the welfare independence of recipients of Aid to Famil ies with Dependent Children (AFDC) with preschool-aged children. An ex perimental group of 300 AFDC recipients with preschool children were o ffered, by mail, relatively immediate, guaranteed, subsidized child ca re for all their children under 12 should the casehead secure full-tim e, unsubsidized employment. A control group of 302 was not made such a n offer, members of this group were subject to the normal conditions f or obtaining subsidized, employment-contingent child care. Both aggreg ate AFDC, Medicaid, and Food Stamp Program expenditures and AFDC parti cipation were subsequently tracked for all participants over a 12-mont h time frame. The results suggested that the special child care offer had no statistically significant effects either in reducing aggregate welfare expenditures or in promoting client independence from the welf are system. Implications for practice and further research are suggest ed.