Yoshikawa H
Department of Psychology, New York University, NY 10003, USA.
Child Dev. 1999 May-Jun;70(3):779-801. doi: 10.1111/1467-8624.00056.
This prospective longitudinal study, using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY; N = 614), addresses the gap in the research literature regarding the effects of welfare reform on children. Key questions addressed include whether welfare dynamics and support services relevant to welfare reform, both measured across the first 5 years of life, are associated with mothers' earnings in the 6th year and three child cognitive outcomes in the 7th and 8th years: Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) math and reading scores, and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT). Welfare dynamics are represented by total time on welfare, degree of cycling on and off welfare, and degree to which welfare and work are combined. Support services measured include three forms of child care (relative, babysitter, and center-based), as well as three forms of human capital supports (child support, job training, and education). Controlling for a range of background factors and for different patterns of welfare use across the first 5 years, small positive associations with mother's earnings were found for child support, education, and job training. Small positive associations also were found between child support and both math and reading scores. Finally positive associations of medium effect size were found between center care and both mothers' earnings and child PPVT scores. Although effect sizes are generally small, the results suggest the potential value of welfare reform approaches that emphasize long-term human capital development. Interactions between welfare dynamics and support services suggest subgroup differences. Specifically, positive effects of support services on earnings are strongest among mothers with higher levels of human capital (higher levels of work while on welfare, lower total time on welfare). Babysitter care appears to have negative effects on both reading and math scores of children whose mothers report low levels of work while on welfare. Implications for welfare reform policy are discussed.
这项前瞻性纵向研究利用了全国青年纵向调查（NLSY；N = 614）的数据，填补了研究文献中关于福利改革对儿童影响方面的空白。所探讨的关键问题包括，在儿童生命的头5年中衡量的与福利改革相关的福利动态和支持服务，是否与母亲在第6年的收入以及孩子在第7年和第8年的三项认知成果相关：皮博迪个人成就测试（PIAT）数学和阅读分数，以及皮博迪图片词汇测试（PPVT）。福利动态由领取福利的总时长、福利领取的循环程度以及福利与工作结合的程度来体现。所衡量的支持服务包括三种形式的儿童照料（亲属照料、保姆照料和中心照料），以及三种形式的人力资本支持（子女抚养费、职业培训和教育）。在控制了一系列背景因素以及头5年不同的福利使用模式后，发现子女抚养费、教育和职业培训与母亲的收入存在小的正向关联。子女抚养费与数学和阅读分数之间也发现了小的正向关联。最后，发现中心照料与母亲的收入和孩子的PPVT分数之间存在中等效应大小的正向关联。尽管效应大小总体较小，但结果表明强调长期人力资本发展的福利改革方法具有潜在价值。福利动态与支持服务之间的相互作用表明存在亚组差异。具体而言，支持服务对收入的积极影响在人力资本水平较高的母亲中最为显著（领取福利时工作水平较高，领取福利的总时长较短）。保姆照料似乎对那些母亲报告在领取福利时工作水平较低的孩子的阅读和数学分数都有负面影响。文中讨论了对福利改革政策的启示。
