A MAP FOR YOU - GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION-SYSTEMS IN THE SOCIAL-SERVICES

This article introduces and illustrates the use of geographic informat ion systems for practice, administration, and research in the social s ervices. Our illustrations use 1996/97 child cave licensing data for t he Lowell/Framingham area of Massachusetts and resource and referral d ata from the Dade County/Greater Miami area of Florida. The article sh ows how the location and characteristics of service providers can be d epicted on a map that can be made available to clients. With the mappi ng of the ratio of child cave slots to the number of children in the p opulation, social services agency workers can locate areas with potent ial service-availability gaps. By mapping the take-up rate for child c ave subsidies, agencies can identify areas for potential client outrea ch. Finally the article presents a map of the ''daily schlep'' for poo r families in one area of Miami. This map suggests that the transporta tion problem of the poor is primarily a work transportation problem an d not a child care transportation issue and provides support for the h ypothesis of a spatial mismatch between home and jobs for poor familie s.