Achievement and behavior among children of welfare recipients, welfare leavers, and low-income single mothers

This article examines the behavior and achievement of children in female-headed families that were on welfare, that left welfare, and that were not on welfare in the 3 years preceding the study. Data come from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Child Development Supplement, a nationally representative sample of children under age 13 collected in 1997. The results suggest that there are both positive and negative outcomes of welfare transitions. Based upon our results, children whose mothers are able to leave and remain of welfare score consistently better on cognitive tests of their development. The transition period, however, is a difficult one. Children's emotional well-being may suffer during the parental transition from cash assistance to self-sufficiency.