The characteristics of child-only cases vary across states, counties, and type of caregiver (for example, parent versus non-parent). Demographics and policy choices in each state and county affect the characteristics and composition of the child-only caseload. This chapter focuses on the child-only caseload in California, Florida, and Missouri, and presents more detailed information for Alameda, Duval, and Jackson counties.
Section II begins with a discussion of the composition of child-only cases at the state level and continues by outlining the composition of child-only cases at the county-level. Section III explores demographic characteristics of the caregiver and focal child including race, age, household size, marital status, and time on welfare. Section IV follows with a description of the number of caregivers of focal children and their transitions into child-only status, exploring transitions into parental and non-parental cases separately and examining reasons why the caregiver is not receiving assistance. The discussion of non-parental cases outlines the reasons why the child came to live with the caregiver as well as the caregiver's relationship to the child. Section V discusses the characteristics that are particular to caregivers, including earnings and income. Section VI briefly discusses characteristics of absent parents.
Comparisons are made across counties and between different types of child-only cases (i.e., between parental and non-parental caregivers). Whenever possible, characteristics at the state and county level are compared as well as characteristics of each county's caseload across time.(1) To the extent possible, data were analyzed to allow for comparisons to be made between groups within the parental caregiver caseload (for example, SSI, alien, and sanctioned cases). However, sample size issues only permit this analysis to be done reliably in Alameda County.
Data sources for all exhibits in the chapter are the case file reviews unless otherwise noted. Additional analysis of case file data is included in Appendix B. State and county-level administrative data analysis is presented in Appendix C.
A quick glance at the composition of child-only cases at the state-level (Exhibit 3.1) may help to put the findings at the county-level into context. Data from HHS' quality control (QC) sample reveal that there are notable differences between the make-up of the states' child-only caseloads and those of the counties.
As Exhibit 3.1 shows, caseload compositions in Florida and Missouri look moderately similar while that of California is quite different. The highest proportion of the child-only caseload in California (46 percent) is comprised of non-qualified alien cases, whereas non-parental caregiver cases make up the largest portion of child-only cases in both Florida (58 percent) and Missouri (46 percent). The proportion of non-qualified aliens in the Florida caseload is 5 percent; in Missouri it is less than 1 percent. SSI cases comprise less than one-quarter of cases in all three states. In Florida and Missouri, a notable proportion of cases are "other parental"; 15 percent in Florida and 24 percent in Missouri (the reason is unknown according to the QC data).
Exhibit 3.1
Composition of the Child-Only Caseload in Three States
Source: AFDC QC Data, October 1996 - June 1997. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation.
The number of cases that fall into each category across the three states is outlined in Exhibit 3.2.
Exhibit 3.2
Estimated Number of Monthly TANF and Child-Only TANF cases in Three
States
| Type of Case | California | Florida | Missouri |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total AFDC/TANF families | 832,009 | 179,170 | 73,635 |
| Child-only families | 190,989 | 50,556 | 17,678 |
| Non-parental caregiver cases | 38,417 | 28,889 | 8,015 |
| Child-only units headed by parents | 152,572 | 21,667 | 9,663 |
| SSI child-only cases | 38,296 | 8,818 | 4,068 |
| Non-qualified alien child-only cases | 88,034 | 2,773 | 68 |
| Sanctioned child-only cases | 13,121 | 2,275 | 1,314 |
| Other/unknown parental cases | 13,121 | 7,800 | 4,213 |
| Source: AFDC QC Data, October 1996 - June 1997. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation. | |||
Exhibit 3.3 presents the composition of child-only cases in the three counties from case file data. The comparison of Exhibits 3.1 and 3.3 suggests that the composition of the child-only caseload in each county is not reflective of its respective state. It is important to note that the state caseload figures reflect the monthly caseload in fiscal year 1997 while the county data reflects the caseload in May 1999. Also, state data are less complete, in some respects. Namely, in Florida and Missouri, there was a greater proportion of "other parental" cases (the reason the parent was not in the assistance unit could not be determined from the data). In conducting the case file review, The Lewin Group had access to more detailed information located in case files, supplemented by information in the administrative data systems.
Non-parental caregiver cases, as well as SSI cases, comprise a greater percentage of the caseload in each county, compared to the states. In Alameda, sanctioned cases comprise 25 percent of the caseload while in the state, only 7 percent of cases are child-only due to sanction. In Jackson, no cases were coded as child-only due to sanction status while 7 percent of the child-only caseload in the state are in sanction status. As discussed in Chapter 2, the sanction policy was revised and sanctioned adults receive reduced benefits but continue to be included in the assistance unit.
While the county caseloads differ from those of the states, comparing the three counties to one another illustrates that in Duval and Jackson Counties the composition of child-only cases is quite similar, while the composition of Alameda County's caseload is very different. This is largely due to demographic differences of the three counties and state policies.(2)
Exhibit 3.3
Composition of the Child-Only Caseload in Three Counties
Source: Lewin Case File Review, 1999.
Non-parental caregiver cases comprise almost two-thirds of child-only cases in Duval and Jackson, according to the case file review. SSI cases make up the next largest portion of the caseload in these two counties, encompassing 27 percent of the caseload in Duval and 28 percent in Jackson. Six percent of Duval County's caseload is comprised of sanctioned cases and only 1 percent contains non-qualified aliens. Jackson County's caseload, on the other hand, includes no sanctioned cases but contains a greater proportion, 6 percent, of alien cases. The remaining portion of cases, 3 percent and 2 percent in Duval and Jackson, respectively, is made up of other parental cases (a small number of minor parents on aid, and cases which are child-only for unknown reasons).
Alameda County's caseload, unlike that in Duval County and Jackson County, is far more diverse; 28 percent of the cases are non-parental caregiver cases, 23 percent are SSI cases, 25 percent are sanctioned cases, and 16 percent are non-qualified alien cases. The remaining 8 percent fall under other categories or could not be placed in one of the aforementioned categories based on the information present in the case files.
Non-parental cases are in many ways different from parental cases. The composition of the households varies while caregivers differ with respect to their age, employment, marital status, and income. The children who reside with these two types of caregivers also differ from one another in notable ways.
The typical child-only case has two children in the assistance unit, although there are fewer children, on average, in non-parental caregiver assistance units than there are in parental caregiver assistance units (Exhibit 3.4). The average number of recipient children in non-parental caregiver versus parental arrangements, respectively, is 1.6 and 2.0 in Alameda; 2.2 and 2.4 in Duval; and 1.8 and 1.9 in Jackson. State and county administrative data in Florida and Missouri reveal that the number of children per child-only assistance unit has remained static over time.(3)
Exhibit 3.4
Household Composition, by County and Type of Caregiver
| Alameda County | Duval County | Jackson County | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | Non-Parent | Parent | Non-Parent | Parent | Non-Parent | |
| Number of recipient children (%) | ||||||
| One | 41.1 | 59.0 | 27.3 | 38.2 | 39.5 | 57.2 |
| Two | 34.4 | 26.9 | 34.1 | 28.0 | 33.7 | 23.0 |
| Three | 16.7 | 10.3 | 22.7 | 17.8 | 20.9 | 11.2 |
| Four | 3.1 | 3.8 | 12.5 | 10.8 | 4.7 | 5.3 |
| Five or more | 4.7 | 0.0 | 3.4 | 5.1 | 1.2 | 3.3 |
| Average number of children in assistance unit | 2.0 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.8 |
| Average number of children in household | 2.2 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 2.6 | NA | NA |
| Average number of adults in household | 1.4 | 1.6 | 1.4 | 1.5 | NA | NA |
| Sample size | 194 | 79 | 90 | 159 | 86 | 153 |
In Duval and Alameda counties, parental cases tend to have more children and fewer adults in the household, on average, than non-parental caregiver cases. Parental cases average 2.2 children and 1.4 adults per household in Alameda, and 2.7 children and 1.4 adults per household in Duval. Non-parental caregivers house 1.7 children and 1.6 adults in Alameda and 2.6 children and 1.5 adults in Duval, on average; households in Duval have slightly fewer adults than in Alameda but are larger overall.
The number of children in the household may differ from the number of children in the assistance unit for a variety of reasons including: 1) some children in the household may be receiving SSI and, thus, are likely ineligible to receive TANF; 2) some children in alien households may not be qualified aliens; 3) the children of the non-parental caregiver may be living in the household and ineligible for TANF due to their parent's income; and 4) the number of children in the household reflects information reported on the application, whereas the number of children in the assistance unit refers to the May 1999 case. Thus, the household composition may have changed from the time of the application to the date of the review.
As illustrated in Exhibit 3.4 and mentioned above, cases reviewed in Duval county had a significantly larger number of children in both the household and the assistance unit than did the other two counties. In Duval, 15.9 percent of all child-only cases had four or more recipient children while 6.6 percent and 7.6 percent of cases in Alameda and Jackson, respectively, had four or more children in the assistance unit.
Nearly all of the focal children share the same ethnic background as their caregiver, including non-parental caregiver cases. Therefore, any reference to a caregiver's race is applicable to that of the focal child as well. The racial make-up of the child-only cases reviewed in each county is outlined in Exhibit 3.5.
Exhibit 3.5
Ethnicity of Caregiver and Focal Child, by County and Type of
Caregiver
| Alameda County | Duval County | Jackson County | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | Non-Parent | Parent | Non-Parent | Parent | Non-Parent | |
| Race/ethnicity of caregiver (%) | ||||||
| White | 9.3 | 15.2 | 26.7 | 22.0 | 15.1 | 22.9 |
| Black | 48.5 | 69.6 | 72.2 | 76.1 | 61.6 | 72.5 |
| Hispanic | 29.9 | 11.4 | 0.0 | 1.9 | 19.8 | 2.0 |
| Asian | 10.8 | 3.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| Other / Unknown | 1.5 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 2.0 |
| Race/ethnicity of focal child (%) | ||||||
| White | 9.3 | 13.9 | 24.4 | 20.8 | 17.4 | 21.6 |
| Black | 49.0 | 69.6 | 73.3 | 76.7 | 59.3 | 73.9 |
| Hispanic | 28.9 | 11.4 | 0.0 | 2.5 | 18.6 | 2.6 |
| Asian | 10.8 | 3.8 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 0.7 |
| Other / Unknown | 2.1 | 1.3 | 2.2 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 1.3 |
| Sample size | 194 | 79 | 90 | 159 | 86 | 153 |
The ethnic composition of child-only cases, while it differs between state and county, largely reflects the type of cases of the TANF caseload as a whole in each county (see Appendix Exhibit C.2). Thus, where the county's entire caseload (including cases with an adult recipient) is disproportionately black as a whole, the same is true for the child-only portion. In addition, ethnicity of child-only cases has remained fairly static over time in Florida and Duval County and Missouri and Jackson County.
The case file review data permit the comparison of race by type of caregiver in each county. Analysis reveals that the caregiver's race differs in Alameda and Jackson depending on whether the individual is a parental or a non-parental caregiver (these two counties have a considerable proportion of Hispanics in the caseload). Both Hispanic and Asian caregivers in the child-only caseloads in Alameda and Jackson are more likely to be parental caregivers than non-parental caregivers. A greater proportion of the non-parental cases in these two counties are comprised of blacks and whites.
Age is outlined in several exhibits in this report. Average ages of child-only cases reviewed are displayed for caregivers in Exhibit 3.6, for focal child in Exhibit 3.7, and for caregivers and focal children on Alameda parental cases by type of case in Appendix Exhibit B.1. Age statistics concerning regular and child-only cases calculated from state and county administrative data are located in the appendix. (Appendix Exhibits C.1 and C.2 present caregiver ages, and Appendix Exhibits C.3 and C.4 present average ages of the youngest child in the assistance unit.)
Unlike race and ethnicity, the age of the caregiver in the child-only population is not reflective of the total TANF population in each county. Caregivers (payees) on child-only cases are older, on average, than payees in regular TANF cases. This is primarily due to the fact that a significant portion of the caregivers on child-only cases are grandparents or great-grandparents. In Duval County, the average age of a regular payee is 31 years of age, compared to 45 years of age for a child-only payee. In Jackson County, the average age of a payee in a regular TANF case is 29 years of age while in child-only cases it is 44 years of age, a difference of 16 years (see Appendix Exhibit C.1).
Within the child-only caseload, non-parental caregivers are substantially older than parental caregivers. The average age of the caregiver in parental cases (Exhibit 3.6) ranges from 33 to 35 years of age while the average age of the non-parental caregivers ranges from 50 to 54 years of age. Sixty-one percent of non-parental caregivers in Alameda, 63 percent in Duval, and 56 percent in Jackson are 50 years of age or older (compared to 5, 2 and 8 percent of parental caregivers, respectively). In fact, a surprising proportion of non-parental caregivers are over age 60, and some are over 70 years of age. This is especially evident in California where nearly one-quarter of non-parental caregivers are between 60 and 69 years of age while 9 percent are 70 and above; 8 and 6 percent of non-parental caregivers in Duval and Jackson, respectively, are age 70 or above.
Within the parental caregiver caseload, SSI parents in Alameda are older than sanctioned and non-qualified alien parents and have older children. As noted in Appendix Exhibit B.1, the average age of SSI parents in Alameda is 39 years of age. Parental caregivers that do not receive aid due to alien and sanction status are noticeably younger than the SSI parents in the county. Alien parents are 9 years younger than SSI parents while those in sanction status are 7 years younger than the SSI parents in Alameda.
Exhibit 3.6
Age of the Caregiver, by County and Type of Caregiver
| Alameda County | Duval County | Jackson County | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age group | Parent | Non-Parent | Parent | Non-Parent | Parent | Non-Parent |
| Age of the caregiver (%): | ||||||
| Under 20 | 3.7 | 1.3 | 8.9 | 0.6 | 7.1 | 2.0 |
| 20 - 29 | 36.1 | 5.2 | 30.0 | 1.3 | 27.4 | 4.7 |
| 30 - 39 | 34.6 | 3.9 | 37.8 | 10.8 | 34.5 | 14.1 |
| 40 - 49 | 20.4 | 28.6 | 21.1 | 24.2 | 22.6 | 22.8 |
| 50 - 59 | 3.7 | 27.3 | 2.2 | 32.5 | 6.0 | 34.9 |
| 60 - 69 | 1.6 | 24.7 | 0.0 | 22.3 | 1.2 | 15.4 |
| 70 and over | 0.0 | 9.1 | 0.0 | 8.3 | 1.2a/ | 6.0 |
| Average age (years) | 33.6 | 53.8 | 32.5 | 53.6 | 35.4 | 50.1 |
| Median age (years) | 32.2 | 55.7 | 32.7 | 53.6 | 36.9 | 52.1 |
| Sample size | 194 | 79 | 90 | 159 | 86 | 153 |
| a/ Most of the elderly parental caregivers are male. The remaining near-elderly caregivers have older (teenaged) focal children. | ||||||
In Duval, the age of the caregiver (defined as the payee on the case) has declined over time. As exhibited in Appendix Exhibit C.1, the proportion of child-only caregivers under the age of 20 has decreased dramatically over time. In 1997, 24 percent of child-only payees were under the age of 20 (most of whom were age 18 and under); in May 1999, 7 percent of payees were under the age of 20. It is assumed that this shift is a result of a policy change in the state which mandated that a minor parent could no longer be a payee but had to be living at home or in an adult-supervised setting - the adult receives the benefit check. This large decrease in the number of payees under the age of 20 drove the average age of the caregiver from 34 in 1997 to 45 in 1999. The average age of 45 in Duval is equivalent to the average age of a child-only payee in Jackson in both 1994 and 1999.
As with the age of the caregiver, the age of the focal child in the child-only population is not reflective of the total TANF population in Duval and Jackson counties. Children in child-only cases, as compared to those in regular TANF cases, are older on average. The age of children on regular TANF versus child-only cases is outlined in Appendix Exhibits C.3 and C.4 and reveals that in Duval and Jackson counties, about one-third of the youngest children on regular TANF cases were over age six compared to two-thirds of youngest children in child-only cases.
Within the child-only caseload, the age of the child is related to the type of caregiver (Exhibit 3.7). In Alameda and Duval, the focal children residing with non-parental caregivers are older, on average, than the focal children residing with a parent. In all three sites, the median age of the focal child is greater for those children residing with a non-parental caregiver.
The age of the youngest child in the Duval child-only caseload has increased slightly over time, according to administrative data. In July 1997, the youngest child in a child-only assistance unit averaged 7.8 years of age. This figure has since increased to 8.3 years of age in May 1999. This is also evident in the age distribution (Appendix Exhibit C.3). A larger portion of children fell into the two and under category in 1997 (20 versus 17 percent), and a smaller portion of the 1997 caseload fell into the 6 and over range (58 versus 64 percent).
Exhibit 3.7
Age of the Focal Child, by County and Type of Caregiver
| Alameda County | Duval County | Jackson County | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age group | Parent | Non-Parent | Parent | Non-Parent | Parent | Non-Parent |
| Age of the focal child (%): | ||||||
| 2 and under | 22.7 | 5.1 | 15.6 | 12.6 | 17.4 | 7.8 |
| 3 to 5 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 13.3 | 10.7 | 19.8 | 12.4 |
| 6 to 8 | 25.8 | 17.7 | 23.3 | 17.6 | 15.1 | 17.0 |
| 9 to 11 | 14.9 | 20.3 | 20.0 | 23.9 | 12.8 | 20.9 |
| 12 to 15 | 12.4 | 25.3 | 17.8 | 25.2 | 18.6 | 28.8 |
| 16 to 19 | 10.8 | 19.0 | 10.0 | 10.1 | 16.3 | 13.1 |
| Average age (years) | 8.1 | 10.8 | 8.9 | 9.9 | 9.1 | 8.6 |
| Median age (years) | 7.8 | 11.5 | 8.5 | 10.2 | 8.2 | 10.7 |
| Sample size | 194 | 79 | 90 | 159 | 86 | 153 |
Marital status is another characteristic that varies appreciably between parental and non-parental caregiver cases; however, the rates vary little across counties. As noted in Exhibit 3.8, while most caregivers are not currently married, non-parental caregivers are more likely to be married than parental caregivers. In Alameda, around 13 percent of parental caregivers (whose marital status is known) are married while over 37 percent of non-parental caregivers in the sample are married. Similarly, in Duval, only 6 percent of parents are noted as being currently married, compared with 32 percent of non-parental caregivers.(4) The percent of cases where the caregiver is divorced, widowed, or separated is also higher among the non-parental caregiver cases.
Exhibit 3.8
Marital Status of Caregivers, by County and Type of
Caregiver
| Alameda County | Duval County | Jackson County | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marital Status (% of known) | Parent | Non-Parent | Parent | Non-Parent | Parent | Non-Parent |
| Married, living with spouse | 12.8 | 37.1 | 5.6 | 32.1 | NA | NA |
| Single | 62.2 | 22.6 | 58.9 | 17.0 | NA | NA |
| Divorced, widowed, or separated | 25.0 | 40.3 | 35.6 | 50.9 | NA | NA |
| Sample size | 194 | 79 | 90 | 159 | 86 | 153 |
The administrative data available for Florida and Duval County indicate that a larger percentage of child-only caregivers (including parental and non-parental caregivers) were married in May 1999, as compared to July 1997 (Appendix Exhibits C.1and C.2). In Duval, 12 percent of child-only caregivers were married in 1997 while 22 percent were married in 1999. Similarly, throughout the entire state, 11 percent of child-only caregivers were married in 1997 while 19 percent were married in 1999. Marital status has changed minimally for regular TANF caregivers in Florida and Duval County.
The average length of time on TANF, for the focal child's current case, is depicted in Exhibit 3.9. This exhibit reveals that children in parental cases have been receiving aid with that caregiver for 36 months in Alameda, 40 months in Duval, and 45 months in Jackson, on average. Children cared for by non-parental caregivers in Alameda have received aid the longest on their child-only case, averaging 55 months. Non-parental caregiver children in Duval are only slightly behind receiving 50 months of TANF; children in non-parental caregiver units in Jackson have received an average of 36 months of child-only TANF with their current caregiver.
Exhibit 3.9
Average Months of TANF Received by Focal Child on the Current Child-Only
Case
| Type of Case | Alameda | Duval | Jackson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parental caregiver cases | 35.8 | 39.6 | 45.1 |
| Non-parental caregiver cases | 55.0 | 49.9 | 36.1 |
The length of time on TANF is related to the age of the focal child. Thus, it is evident that children residing with non-parental caregivers in Alameda and Duval have older children and who received child-only TANF on the current case longer than those children residing with parents in these counties. In Jackson, however, children residing with parents have older children, on average, and have been receiving child-only TANF for a longer period of time than their counterparts residing with non-parental caregivers.
Children receive assistance on child-only cases for a variety of reasons. Some have come to reside with the current caregiver (parent or non-parent) after having received assistance on a previous case with a different caregiver. Some children currently reside with parents while others reside with non-parental caregivers. This section explores the number and paths of different caregivers. In addition, the various factors which led to each type of case being child-only are discussed for each type of caregiver.
In a majority of cases, focal children have resided with one caregiver while receiving TANF. Yet, a substantial percentage of children living with a non-parental caregiver have been cared for by multiple caregivers. The number of caregivers is illustrated in Exhibit 3.10.
Not surprisingly, children who are currently residing with a non-parental caregiver are more likely to have had multiple caregivers than those children living with a parent. In all three counties, over 95 percent of those children living with a parent have received assistance on that case only. However, as a proportion of those children residing with non-parental caregivers, 43 percent of children in Alameda had multiple caregivers while 39 of children in Duval and 35 percent of children in Jackson had multiple caregivers. A handful of children had three caregivers or more. It is assumed that some children have resided with a greater number of caregivers than indicated in Exhibit 3.10 because they had resided with caregivers who did not receive AFDC/TANF assistance and/or because earlier case files with additional caregivers have been archived or destroyed. The caregivers captured in this study (and in Exhibit 3.10) include only those that received AFDC/TANF with the focal child in the assistance unit.
Exhibit 3.10
Number of Caregivers of Focal Children, by County and Type of
Case
| Alameda County | Duval County | Jackson Countya/ | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Caregivers (%) | Parent | Non-Parent | Parent | Non-Parent | Parent | Non-Parent |
| One | 99.0 | 57.0 | 95.5 | 61.5 | 95.2 | 65.2 |
| Two | 1.0 | 36.7 | 4.5 | 32.3 | 4.8 | 34.8 |
| Three | 0.0 | 6.3 | 0.0 | 5.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Four | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Sample size | 194 | 79 | 90 | 159 | 86 | 153 |
| a/ Case file information was reviewed for the past two caregivers only in Jackson County. | ||||||
The sequence of the two most recent caregivers of the focal child are outlined in Exhibit 3.11. As depicted, the sequence of caregivers varies by county. A larger portion of children in Alameda (70 percent) have received aid with one parent only, compared to Duval (34 percent) and Jackson (33 percent).
Exhibit 3.11
Sequence of Past Two Caregivers, by County
(Percent of Child-Only Caseload)
On the other hand, a greater proportion of children in Duval and Jackson have received aid with one non-parental caregiver and have also moved from a parent to a non-parent more than children in Alameda. This largely reflects the greater proportion of parental cases in Alameda. Nearly all of the cases that went from a parental caregiver to a non-parental caregiver were regular TANF cases under the parental caregiver. Those that went from one non-parent to another were generally child-only in both instances.
The types of parental cases vary from county to county. According to the case file review, 71 percent of all child-only cases in Alameda County have a parental caregiver while only 36 percent of child-only cases in Duval and Jackson counties have a parental caregiver. These cases are child-only for a variety of reasons.
Exhibit 3.12 outlines the various paths that parental caregivers have taken on their route to becoming a child-only payee. As illustrated, the type and frequency of each path taken varies across the three counties. Approximately 22 percent of Alameda's and nearly 17 percent of Jackson's parental caseloads are comprised of non-qualified alien cases. In addition, a substantial portion of cases in each of the counties is currently made up of SSI cases (approximately 32 percent in Alameda, 73 percent in Duval, and 82 percent in Jackson). Over 35 percent of cases in Alameda are sanctioned cases while 18 percent in Duval are in sanction status. (5) The large deviation in the proportion of the caseload in sanction status across counties is a direct result of state policy (as noted in Chapter 2).
From the perspective of the focal child, however, not all children who are receiving aid on an SSI or sanctioned child-only case began receiving aid on such a case. Despite the fact that not all historical TANF receipt information could be collected through the case files due to archiving and destruction of older records, the case files did reveal that, from the point of view of the focal child, approximately 53 percent, 55 percent, and 22 percent of parental cases in Alameda, Duval, and Jackson, respectively, were once regular TANF cases. Specifically, 9 percent of cases in Alameda went from regular TANF to SSI while 36 percent went from regular TANF into sanction status. In Duval, 34 percent of parental cases began on regular TANF before becoming SSI cases while 17 were considered regular TANF before the imposition of a sanction. Slightly over 17 percent of Jackson's cases went from regular TANF to SSI.
Lastly, cases are occasionally in child-only status for specialized reasons. Around 3 percent of all parent cases across the counties (and 8 percent in Duval County) are considered child-only because the focal child's parent is a minor. Thus, while the parent is in the assistance unit, there is technically no adult on the case, making it a child-only case. About 8 percent of cases in Alameda are child-only for reasons that are unknown, as the files did not always provide complete information about the case's status.
Two cases reviewed in Alameda County are child-only due to the incarceration of the parent. While the child would usually be cared for by a non-parental caregiver while the parent was in prison, a special program in this county allows infants to be cared for by the parent while they remain incarcerated.
Exhibit 3.12
Sequence of Case Type on Parental Caregiver Cases, by
County
In some instances, parents (and possibly even non-parental caregivers) receive their TANF grants through a protective payee. This occurs more frequently in Duval as a result of Florida's sanction policy. Nevertheless, some parents in other counties do have a protective payee arrangement. Two cases in Alameda and Jackson (one in each county) receive their grants through a protective payee; in Duval, 14 percent of parental cases have a protective payee.
Non-parental caregiver cases comprise a majority of the caseload in Jackson and Duval and approximately 28 percent of the child-only caseload in Alameda. The reasons why non-parental caregivers are not in the assistance unit differs substantially from those of parental caregivers. This is largely due to the fact that: 1) non-parental caregivers are less needy and, as a result, are less likely to ever have been on TANF and then been sanctioned; and 2) focal children of non-qualified alien parents are more likely to remain with the parent, as opposed to living with a non-parental caregiver at some point. Thus, non-parental caregivers are not on the grant because they are receiving SSI or have income over the standard of need.(6)
Exhibit 3.13 outlines the past two caregivers of focal children that are currently residing with a non-parental caregiver in each county. A notable portion of non-parental caregiver cases were once regular TANF cases headed by a parent. Over one-third of cases in Alameda, and over one-quarter of cases in Duval and Jackson were regular parent TANF cases that are now child-only with a non-parental caregiver. Between 7 and 9 percent of non-parental cases in each county were child-only with two different non-parental caregivers. One aspect worthy of exploration, and particular to non-parental caregiver cases, is why the child came to live with the current caregiver.
Exhibit 3.13
Path of Focal Children Currently Residing with a Non-parental Caregiver,
by County
(percent of current non-parental cases)
The reasons why the child has come to reside with the caregiver vary widely and include desertion, substance abuse, incarceration, child abuse, and neglect, as outlined in the bottom panel of Exhibit 3.14. These reasons are not mutually exclusive and the child often came to reside with the caregiver for a combination of related reasons. Where multiple reasons were apparent, the most specific reason was documented in the file (for example, substance abuse would be noted in a case where a substance abusing parent deserted a child). In instances where the reason why the child came to reside with the caregiver differed for father and mother, the mother's situation was generally documented.
At times, the reason for the child being with the caregiver was well documented, whereas at other times, the reason had to be assumed or inferred based upon the context of the case. The overwhelming reasons that were documented in such instances of ambiguity were desertion and neglect. In addition, it is important to note that some reasons that were documented are subjective and dependent upon the caseworkers' assumptions and perceptions. Thus, the reasons why the child came to reside with caregiver are largely reflective of the quality of information in the case files, which varied from county to county. The percent of cases where the reason child came to reside with the current caregiver is unknown, ranges from 9 percent in Duval County to 25 percent in Jackson County; 13 percent of non-parental cases in Alameda are unknown.
Exhibit 3.14
Reasons for Non-Parental Caregiver Case being Child-Only
| Non-Parental Caregiver Cases | Alameda | Duval | Jackson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reason caregiver may not be receiving assistance (%)a/ | |||
| Has income or assets that may make them ineligible | 35.4 | 43.0 | 66.0 |
| Is receiving SSI | 35.4 | 36.1 | 15.7 |
| Sanctioned | 2.5 | 1.3 | 0.0 |
| Opted not to receive aid | 0.0 | 1.9 | 1.3 |
| Unknown | 26.6 | 17.7 | 17.0 |
| Reason child came to reside with caregiver (%) | |||
| Death of parent or caregiver | 10.1 | 3.8 | 3.9 |
| Parent disabled and unable to care for child | 6.3 | 1.3 | 3.3 |
| Parent incarcerated | 8.9 | 9.4 | 12.4 |
| Parent institutionalized | 1.3 | 1.3 | 2.0 |
| Evidence of child abuse | 2.5 | 6.3 | 3.9 |
| Parent has substance abuse problem | 7.6 | 26.4 | 10.5 |
| Environmental neglect (lack of adequate food, clothing, or shelter) | 5.1 | 6.9 | 0.0 |
| Desertion | 40.5 | 25.8 | 34.6 |
| Other court/CPS involvementb/ | 1.3 | 9.4 | 3.3 |
| Other | 3.8 | 0.6 | 1.3 |
| Unknown | 12.7 | 8.8 | 24.8 |
| Sample size | 79 | 159 | 153 |
|
a/ The reasons documented
are mutually exclusive.
b/ The case files reviewed in each county often provided little information concerning Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement. As discussed in Chapter 2, there appears to be little interaction between CPS and the welfare office. TANF case workers often would not know that CPS was involved in a case. |
|||
As delineated in Exhibit 3.14, a large portion of cases in each county are child-only with a non-parental caregiver due to the parent's desertion of the child (41 percent in Alameda; 26 percent in Duval; and 35 percent in Jackson). Substance abuse of the parent was also a common reason, but may have been one of other various factors leading to the child being placed with a non-parental caregiver. Over one-quarter of the non-parental cases in Duval County resulted from the substance abuse of the focal child's parent(s). The incarceration of a parent accounts for a number of non-parental child-only cases and ranges from 9 percent to 12 percent of cases. Death of the parent or previous care giver accounts for 10 percent of cases in Alameda, while 5 and 7 percent of cases in Alameda and Duval, respectively, resulted from the parent's neglect of the focal child.
In most instances, the child did not move from one non-parental caregiver to another while on TANF. Only 4 percent of all child-only cases across the three counties had more than one non-parental caregiver.
Two-thirds of non-parental caregivers are grandparents. (These figures are included in Exhibit 3.15.) In addition, it is not uncommon for great-grandparents (included in the "other adult relative" category) to be caregivers. Consequently, most caregivers are over the age of 50, as was discussed in Section III.C.
Exhibit 3.15
Relationship of Caregiver to Focal Child, by County
| Non-Parental Caregiver Cases (%) | Alameda | Duval | Jackson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grandparent | 63.3 | 66.9 | 60.6 |
| Aunt / Uncle | 26.6 | 18.8 | 20.0 |
| Sibling | 1.3 | 0.0 | 0.6 |
| Other adult relative | 8.9 | 13.8 | 13.5 |
| Non-relative adult | 0.0 | 0.6 | 5.2 |
| Sample size | 79 | 159 | 153 |
It is very rare that the non-parental caregiver of a focal child is a non-relative. Less than one percent of cases in Duval and 5 percent of non-parental cases in Jackson have non-relative caregivers. The remainder of the cases are headed by some other adult relative, generally an aunt or uncle and, in rare instances, an older sibling, cousin, or great aunt.
The financial situation of child-only caregivers varies greatly between parental and non-parental caregivers. This is largely due to differences in employment levels, other income, and support from other household members.
Non-parental caregivers, despite the fact that they are older than parental caregivers on average, are more likely to be employed (Exhibit 3.16). The vast majority of parents are not employed. This is not surprising, since:
Employment status for the non-parental caregiver is not reported in many cases. Due to the fact that TANF assistance provided to a non-parental caregiver for the child(ren) does not count the non-parental caregivers' income in benefit determination (although the children's income and resources are considered), many caseworkers do not collect employment, income, and resource information on the application.(7) For those cases where information was available or inferred, it was revealed that many non-parental caregivers are working. Younger caregivers are more likely to be working than caregivers over the age 60 (30 percent versus 12 percent of all non-parental caregiver cases in Alameda;(8) 48 percent versus 21 percent in Duval; and 53 percent versus 28 percent in Jackson).
Exhibit 3.16
Employment of Caregiver, by County and Type of Caregiver
| Alameda County | Duval County | Jackson County | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment of Caregiver (%) | Parent | Non-Parent | Parent | Non-Parent | Parent | Non-Parent |
| Employed (any hours) | 7.7 | 24.1 | 11.1 | 39.6 | 5.8 | 47.7 |
| Not employed/Out of Labor Forcea/ | 73.2 | 51.9 | 83.3 | 45.9 | 87.2 | 45.1 |
| Unknown | 19.1 | 24.1 | 5.6 | 14.5 | 7.0 | 7.2 |
| Sample size | 194 | 79 | 90 | 159 | 86 | 153 |
| a/ If it was known that the caregiver was receiving SSI and no employment information questions were answered, it was assumed that the caregiver was out of the labor force. | ||||||
While a large proportion of employment information is unknown, it is useful to look at the reported employment rates in order to make comparisons between parental and non-parental caregivers. The figures reveal that the difference in reported employment between parental and non-parental caregivers is striking. This is most evident in Jackson county where 6 percent of parental caregivers reported employment while 48 percent of non-parental caregivers reported employment.
In Alameda, employment status of the parent is also broken out by the reason that the parental case is child-only (Appendix Exhibit B.1). Surprisingly, the group that has the highest, reported employment rate in Alameda consists of non-qualified aliens. Over 16 percent of non-qualified alien parental caregivers in Alameda are working, compared to no SSI cases and 10 percent of sanctioned cases.
Exhibit 3.17 delineates total income (in dollars) from each source as well as the percent of income that the caregiver receives from each source. Generally, non-parental caregivers have higher total incomes, ranging from $918 in Alameda to $1,331 in Jackson, while parents receive less income per month, ranging from $756 per month in Jackson to $846 per month in Duval.
In a high-grant state like California, both parental and non-parental caregivers receive a higher percentage of income from the TANF grant (51 percent and 45 percent for parental and non-parental caregivers in Alameda) than in low-grant states such as Florida and Missouri. In addition, as compared to parental caregivers, non-parental caregivers receive a larger portion of their incomes from sources other than TANF (for example, SSI, earnings, and pensions) in all three counties. The higher percent of total income received from food stamps for parental caregivers makes up some of this difference.
Exhibit 3.17
Household Benefits and Income, by County and Type of
Caregiver
| Alameda County | Duval County | Jackson County | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benefit / Income Source | Parent | Non-Parent | Parent | Non-Parent | Parent | Non-Parent |
| Caregiver receiving (%) | ||||||
| Food stamps (assistance unit) | 88.7 | 35.4 | 93.3 | 37.7 | 80.2 | 34.6 |
| Medicaid | 56.2 | 34.2 | 93.3 | 28.9 | 80.2 | 23.5 |
| SSI | 33.5 | 35.4 | 74.4 | 27.7 | 79.1 | 24.8 |
| Household benefits and income (monthly $) | ||||||
| AFDC/TANF | 431 | 415 | 236 | 264 | 195 | 187 |
| Food stamps | 160 | 46 | 189 | 76 | 118 | 76 |
| Other caregiver income of knowna/ | 300 | 805 | 380 | 774 | 432 | 1,055 |
| Other caregiver income for allb/ | 218 | 408 | 372 | 563 | 407 | 898 |
| Income from other adults in HH | 35 | 49 | 49 | 134 | 26 | 170 |
| Total incomec/ | 844 | 918 | 846 | 1,037 | 746 | 1,331 |
| Percent of total income from source (%) | ||||||
| AFDC/TANF | 51.0 | 45.2 | 27.9 | 25.4 | 26.2 | 14.1 |
| Food stamps | 18.9 | 5.0 | 22.4 | 7.3 | 15.8 | 5.7 |
| Other caregiver income for allc/ | 25.8 | 44.5 | 43.9 | 54.3 | 54.5 | 67.4 |
| Income from other adults in HH | 4.2 | 5.3 | 5.8 | 12.9 | 3.4 | 12.7 |
| Sample size | 194 | 79 | 90 | 159 | 86 | 153 |
|
a/ This figure (including
earnings, SSI, pension, child support, etc.) calculates average "other income"
only of those whose "other income" was known.
b/ This figure (including earnings, SSI, pension, child support, etc.) assumes that "other income" is equal to $0.00 for all caregivers whose other income was unknown. c/ This figure is calculated using other caregiver income for all. |
||||||
Among the parental caregivers in Alameda, SSI parents receive a smaller portion of their income from TANF (36 percent) and food stamps (11 percent), and a larger portion from "other income" (47 percent). (See Appendix Exhibit B-1.) On the other hand, the TANF and food stamp grants comprise 68 and 23 percent of an alien parent's income and 61 and 28 percent of a sanctioned parent's income, on average. Parents in sanction and alien status reported other income that comprises 10 and 7 percent of their income in Alameda.
The average food stamp benefit is substantially higher among parental cases than non-parental caregiver cases, averaging $160, $189, and $188 in Alameda, Duval, and Jackson, respectively (Exhibit 3.17). This is largely due to the fact that a larger portion of parental cases receive food stamps - 88 percent versus 36 percent. Non-parental caregivers have greater incomes making them less likely to be receiving food stamps. In addition, parental cases have a larger assistance unit and, presumably food stamp household, than non-parental caregiver cases. The average food stamp grant amounts for all non-parental caregiver cases is only $46 in Alameda and $76 in both Duval and Jackson.
Within the parental caregiver caseload, the magnitudes of the TANF and food stamp grants also vary by the type of child-only case (e.g. alien, SSI, or sanctioned). The size of these income sources is affected by a number of variables. Sanctioned cases reviewed in Alameda have fewer recipient children on average but are the group with the highest food stamp benefit amounts, receiving $190 per month, on average (Appendix Exhibit B.1). While adults who are sanctioned are not included in the TANF assistance unit, they are included in calculating the food stamp benefit. Alien cases in Alameda tend to have a larger number of recipient children and receive a higher food stamp grant, on average, than SSI cases ($161 versus $132). The food stamp calculation considers the SSI benefits, resulting in SSI recipients being eligible for smaller food stamp grants.
While few parents are working, most parental caregiver assistance units report income from sources other than TANF or food stamps. Yet, non-parental caregivers receive more income per month, on average, than parental caregivers. The fact that non-parental caregivers are more likely than parental caregivers to be employed helps explain why non-parental caregiver households have greater incomes. Parental caregivers across the counties report between $218 and $407 per month in other income whereas non-parental caregivers report between $408 and $898 per month in additional income.(9)
The trend is similar with respect to income received from other household members. Again, non-parental caregivers receive more per month from other household members than do parental caregivers. In Jackson County, for example, non-parental caregivers supplement the household's income with $170 per month from other members while parental caregivers receive only $26 per month from other household members, a difference of $144.
In most of the non-parental caregiver case files, a limited amount of information was available concerning the child's absent parent(s). Where information was available on both absent parents, the mother's information was collected. In instances where the parent was once a TANF case head or a child-only caregiver to the focal child, that information was used to supplement the information available on absent parents.
As indicated in Exhibit 3.18 most absent parents are under the age of 40 and were single and unemployed at TANF application. There are no substantial differences in the figures across the three counties.
Exhibit 3.18
Absent Parent Characteristics, by County
| Characteristic | Alameda | Duval | Jackson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (%) | |||
| Under 20 | 4.6 | 0.9 | 3.9 |
| 20 - 29 | 27.7 | 41.1 | 29.4 |
| 30 - 39 | 36.9 | 44.6 | 53.9 |
| 40 - 49 | 29.2 | 12.5 | 12.7 |
| 50 and over | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| Average age | 34.5 | 32.3 | 32.2 |
| Median age | 34.5 | 31.2 | 32.8 |
| Marital status at the time of earlier TANF application (%) | |||
| Married, living with spouse | 10.1 | 11.3 | 5.9 |
| Single | 86.1 | 81.8 | 83.7 |
| Unknown | 3.8 | 6.9 | 10.5 |
| Married (% of known) | 10.5 | 12.2 | 6.6 |
| Single (% of known) | 89.5 | 87.8 | 93.4 |
| Employment status at the time of earlier TANF application (%) | |||
| Employed (any hours) | 5.1 | 2.5 | 3.3 |
| Not employed/Out of labor force | 43.0 | 42.8 | 42.5 |
| Unknown | 51.9 | 54.7 | 54.2 |
| Sample size | 79 | 159 | 153 |
1. This analysis can be done with the use of administrative data. These data are only available for Florida and Duval County and Missouri and Jackson County.
2. Alameda has a higher percentage of aliens. In addition, Alameda's sanction policy results in child-only cases while a portion of Duval's sanctioned cases are child-only (most are closed), and Jackson's sanctioned cases are not categorized as child-only.
3. From July 1997 to May 1999 in Duval/Florida, and from May 1994 to May 1999 in Jackson/Missouri.
4. Marital status was not collected on benefit application or redetermination forms in Jackson County.
5. A more detailed account of the type of sanction case for parental caregivers in each county is outlined in Appendix Exhibit B.3. The percentages in Appendix Exhibit B.3 differ from those in Exhibit 3.12 due to the fact that those cases that have never been regular TANF cases and are child-only for "unknown" and "other" reasons are not included in the denominator of Exhibit 3.12.
6. This is noted in Appendix Exhibit B.2.
7. Some TANF applications did reveal employment information; for food stamp recipients, this information could be determined from food stamp applications.
8. The sample of non-parental cases in Alameda is only 79; 19 of these cases indicated that the caregiver's employment status was unknown, leaving only 60 non-parental caregivers with which to calculate these figures.
9. These amounts are likely underestimated as those with unknown values for "other income" were assumed to have $0 in "other income."
Table of Contents:
Executive Summary
National Overview
TANF Child-Only Policies and Practices in Three
States
Characteristics of the TANF Child-Only Caseload in Three
Counties
Summary Findings and Implications for Future Research
Home Pages:
Human Services Policy
(HSP)
Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation
(ASPE)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS)
Last modified on 3/28/00