Understanding a work-family fit for single parents moving from welfare to work

Teng and Pittman's model of "work-family fit" served as a theoretical base for exploring the experiences of families moving from welfare to work. Resp onding to open-ended telephone interview questions, 30 recently hired welfa re recipients described factors that were needed for them to make a smooth transition into work, be successful at their jobs, and balance work and fam ily. The individuals appeared to experience greater success when their own needs and the needs of their families were being met and when they were abl e to meet the demands of work, leading to greater work-family fit. Support from the workplace and other community sources, as well as participants' pe rsonal attributes contributed to this work-family fit. Specific strategies based on these findings are offered for employers, social workers, and comm unity organizations.