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儿童对母亲福利过渡的影响。 数据将包括福利资格文件和医疗补助记录，从1994年至1997年的援助家庭与受抚养儿童（AFDC）在费城，宾夕法尼亚州。 这项研究将确定1994年至1997年AFDC儿童接受精神疾病治疗的比率，并将这些家庭的福利经验与儿童接受其他慢性健康状况治疗的家庭以及儿童平均利用或不利用服务的家庭进行比较。 根据这些发现，将提供证据，以确定哪些群体需要专门设计的方案，以帮助他们从福利过渡到工作，以及这些方案的性质应该是什么。本研究的具体假设为：1.平均而言，接受精神健康治疗的儿童的母亲退出福利的速度比儿童未接受慢性健康状况治疗的母亲和儿童接受其他慢性健康问题治疗的母亲都要慢; 2.如果他们确实退出福利，接受心理健康治疗的儿童的母亲将比儿童未接受治疗的母亲和儿童因其他慢性健康问题接受治疗的母亲更快地恢复福利; 3.从1994年到1997年，接受家庭援助发展方案的家庭中有子女接受精神健康治疗的家庭比例有所增加。

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.