Welfare Reform and Children: A Synthesis of Impacts in Five States: The Project on State-Level Child Outcomes

This report focuses on whether pilot welfare reform programs launched in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, and Minnesota affected children's developmental outcomes. In general, the five state programs achieved their policy goals for adults and increased parental employment, earnings, and in some cases, household income. Overall, there were few impacts on young school-age children, although the programs with the most positive impacts also increased family income. Impacts on adolescents were more frequent and primarily negative.