Educationally Disadvantaged Older Youth: Welfare Receipt

Another area targeted by programs for older youths is the reduction of dependency on welfare (JTPA, NC, LEAP, TPD). In addition to these four programs, two others also measured welfare outcomes. Welfare is designed to help individuals increase their income, escape poverty, and avoid the negative consequences associated with poverty and low income (Moffitt & Pleog, 2001). It is intended to be temporary, and the emphasis is on moving individuals off welfare as soon as possible (Moffitt & Pleog, 2001). In general, the programs studied had mixed impacts on welfare receipt. Job Corps had a positive impact, with participants receiving, on average, $300 and $460 less in welfare assistance than youths in the control group (JC1, JC2). Similarly, participants in LEAP received less in benefits than control youths (LEAP3), were on welfare fewer months, and were less likely to be receiving benefits at the three-year follow-up (LEAP2, LEAP3). However, there were no differences in welfare receipt for participants in the Teenage Parent Demonstration, New Chance, JTPA or JOBSTART (TPD1, TPD2, NC1, JS2, JTPA). In the case of New Chance, program participants were more likely than youths in the control group to be on welfare at the 42-month follow-up (NC1). Hence, programs cannot be described as uniformly successful at reducing welfare dependency.