How Welfare and Employment Policies Affect Children of Different Ages

Elizabeth Clark-Kauffman, Northwestern University
Greg J. Duncan, Northwestern University
Pamela Morris, Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation (MDRC)

Summary Using experimental data from fourteen different welfare and work programs, we assess whether impacts on children’s achievement and behavior depend upon their stage of development. We find favorable impacts, particularly for programs that boost family income, for children ages 2-4 at the time of random assignment. In contrast, impacts were most negative among children transitioning into adolescence. We intend to determine to what extent changes in maternal employment, family income, and welfare dependence account for the pattern of impacts.