Two more studies have been released confirming the success of the 1996 federal welfare reform package. One examines how families who left welfare in 1999 have fared. The other details how families on welfare have changed.
Data for the two studies by Pamela Loprest and Sheila Zedlewski of the Urban Institute were compiled from surveys of 42,000 households. Among their conclusions:
The proportion of rolls made up of black families grew from 34 percent to 46 percent.
Despite the encouraging news, there were some areas of concern. For example, families who left welfare in 1999 were more likely to report serious health problems including mental health problems than those who left in 1997.
Source: Cheryl Wetzstein, Studies Find Welfare Leavers Better Off, Washington Times, April 27, 2001.
For more on the Effects on Families of Federal Welfare Reform
http://www.ncpa.org/pi/congress/cong12c.html
For more on FEMA http://www.ncpa.org/pd/budget/budget-7.html
