Determinants of initial entry onto welfare by young women

Using data from the youngest cohorts of women in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, this study constructs Aid to Families with Dependent Child ren (AFDC) histories starting at age 15. Most young women go on AFDC for th e first time between ages 18 and 25 and do so in the first few years after the birth of their first baby. These histories ave used to estimate models of the determinants of initial use of AFDC. The models provide mixed eviden ce that the financial or other incentives of welfare policy affect the like lihood and timing of AFDC use. Benefit levels do not seem to affect partici pation, but the presence of a program for medically needy families who are not on welfare appears to decrease entrance to welfare for some groups. Par ental poverty, family structure, academic achievement, attitudes toward sch ool and race ave significantly related to the likelihood of participating i n AFDC, and the rate of entry. (C) 2000 by the Association for Public Polic y Analysis and Management.