Effects of welfare reform on children of adolescent mothers: Moderation bymaternal depression, father involvement, and grandmother involvement

There are few data available on how effects of welfare reform on children m ay differ for different kinds of families. This study examined the construc ts of maternal depression, father involvement, and grandmother involvement as moderators of the effects of a welfare reform program on children. The s ample included 1,602 children between the ages of 3 and 6 1/2 whose mothers had participated in New Chance, a multi-site welfare-to-work program with an emphasis on human capital development (i.e., education, job training). F ather and grandmother co-residence were investigated, in addition to percei ved support from these family members, in predicting cognitive and behavior al child outcomes. The mediating roles of parenting stress and emotional su pport in parenting were also explored. Although main effects were found for the intervention and for maternal depression, no main effects were found f or the family ecology variables. However, interactions suggested complex re lationships among New Chance and the family characteristics for both the fu ll sample and for Latina families. Results are discussed in terms of policy implications and possible future research. (C) 2001 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.