Prospects for low-income mothers' economic survival under welfare reform

This article discusses implications of data on the income and employment pa t rents of welfare recipients for the types of programmatic and financial i nvestments that states will need to make for successful welfare reform. Res earch by the Institute for Women's Policy Research found that even before w elfare reform, women worked significant amounts of time and relied heavily on family supports to :survive, when possible. High school education and jo b training are important predictors of leaving welfare and escaping poverty , while work experience alone has relatively little effect on leaving welfa re. Stales will be challenged to provide these educational services within the restrictions on job training and education under the new welfare laws. Working welfare recipients in the institute's sample spat more than one-thi rd of their income on child care, which speaks to the importance of increas ed child-care subsidies for helping women escape poverty. It is important f or states and communities to monitor the implementation of supportive servi ces, track outcomes for women who leave welfare, and improve work environme nts and employment benefits.