EFFECTS OF CHILDREN'S SERVICE USE ON WELFARE TRANSITIONS

拟议的研究是对现有数据集的检查，以确定抚养接受精神疾病治疗的孩子对母亲福利转变的影响。这些数据将包括1994年至1997年宾夕法尼亚州费城有受抚养子女家庭援助（AFDC）受助人的福利资格档案和医疗补助记录。本研究将确定1994年至1997年接受精神疾病治疗的AFDC儿童的比率，并将这些家庭的福利经验与接受其他慢性疾病治疗的儿童的家庭以及平均或没有接受服务的儿童的家庭进行比较。基于这些发现，将提供证据来确定哪些群体需要专门设计的计划来帮助他们从福利过渡到工作，以及这些计划的性质应该是什么。本研究提出的具体假设是：1。接受心理健康治疗的儿童的母亲退出福利的平均速度比其儿童未接受慢性健康问题治疗的母亲和其儿童接受其他慢性健康问题治疗的母亲慢；2. 如果她们确实退出福利，接受心理健康治疗的儿童的母亲返回福利的平均速度将快于未接受治疗的儿童的母亲和因其他慢性健康问题接受治疗的儿童的母亲；3. 从1994年到1997年，接受AFDC的家庭中有儿童接受心理健康治疗的比例有所增加。

The proposed study is an examination of existing data sets to determine the effects of raising a child receiving treatment for a psychiatric disorder on mothers' welfare transitions. The data will consist of the welfare eligibility files and Medicaid records from 1994 to 1997 of recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This study will determine rates from 1994 to 1997 of AFDC children in treatment for psychiatric disorders, and compare the welfare experiences of those families to those with children in treatment for other chronic health conditions as well as those with children with average or no service utilization. Based on these findings, evidence will be provided to determine which groups need specially designed programs to help them with the transition from welfare to work and what the nature of those programs should be. The specific hypotheses of the proposed study are that: 1. Mothers of children receiving mental health treatment will exit welfare more slowly on average than both mothers whose children are not in treatment for chronic health conditions and mothers whose children are in treatment for other chronic health problems; 2. If they do exit welfare, mothers of children receiving mental health treatment will return to welfare more quickly on average than both mothers whose children are not in treatment and mothers whose children are in treatment for other chronic health problems; 3. From 1994 to 1997, the percentage of families receiving AFDC who had children in mental health treatment increased.