TANF and the Status of Teen Mothers under Age 18, Gregory Acs, Heather
L. Koball, Urban Institute, June 02, 2003. No. A-62 in Series, "New
Federalism: Issues and Options for States."
Introduction:
Historically, nearly half of all teenage mothers receive welfare within
five years of becoming parents (USGAO 1994). Consequently, 1996's federal
welfare reform contains provisions aimed specifically at teen parents
and would-be parents with the goals of reducing teen childbearing and
preventing teen parents from becoming dependent on welfare. Specifically,
to be eligible to receive federal cash aid under the Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families (TANF) program, a minor parent has to live with a
responsible adult (generally her parents) and participate in school
or training.
Advocates of these provisions argue that by making it harder for teen
parents to receive welfare, the policy will reduce teen childbearing.
Further, by requiring teens to live with responsible adults (like their
parents) and attend school, supporters hope that teen mothers can avoid
long-term dependence on welfare. Critics of these provisions argue that
single mothers will be denied needed support and forced to live in potentially
dangerous households.
This brief uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-1997
cohort (NLSY-97) to profile teen mothers under welfare reform. Initially,
we assess the extent to which teen childbearing among 15- to 17-year-old
girls has changed between the start of federal welfare reform in 1997
and 2000. Then, we examine changes in teen mothers' living arrangements,
school enrollment, and welfare use over the same period. Finally, using
post-reform data, we compare the risk-taking behavior of all teenage
girls, teen mothers, and teen mothers who live with their parents to
see whether living with parents is associated with less risky behavior.
We find that minor teen mothers are significantly less likely to receive
cash welfare since the implementation of TANF although there are no
statistically significant differences in teen childbearing, residential
choice, or school enrollment. Further, teen mothers are more likely
to smoke, drink, and use marijuana than other teenage girls. Teen mothers
who co-reside with their parents, however, are less likely to use marijuana
than teen moms in other living arrangements.
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