THREE LARGE PROGRAMS FOR TEENAGE PARENTS

Teenage Parent Demonstration (TPD)
(1987-1991)

Locations: Camden, NJ;  Newark, NJ;  south side of Chicago, IL
Target Population: All teenagers who were first-time parents and receiving welfare.  In Illinois, teenagers who had no children, but were in the third trimester of pregnancy and receiving welfare were also targeted.
Sanctions/ Bonuses: Generally $160 sanction per month, the amount normally allocated to cover the needs of the mother, for failure to participate in activities (education, training, or employment-related activities)
Services: Case management; initial workshops on topics such as employment preparation, family planning, life skills, parenting, child support, and nutrition;  child care assistance;  transportation assistance.  Average caseloads ranged from about 40 in the New Jersey sites to about 80 in Chicago.
Final Report: Ellen Eliason Kisker, Anu Rangarajan, and Kimberly Boller. Moving Into Adulthood:  Were the Impacts of Mandatory Programs for Welfare-Dependent Teenage Parents Sustained After the Programs Ended?  Princeton, NJ:  Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., 1998.

Learning, Earning, and Parenting Program (LEAP)
(1989-ongoing)

Locations: Ohio (all counties).  The evaluation focused on 12 counties.
Target Population: All pregnant women and custodial parents under 20 years old who are receiving welfare and do not have a high school diploma or GED
Sanctions/ Bonuses: $62 bonus for enrolling in school;  $62 bonus for each month teen meets attendance requirements;  $62 sanction for not attending initial assessment or failing to verify school enrollment;  $62 sanction for each month teen exceeds allowable absences
Services: Child care assistance;  transportation assistance;  at least minimal case management.  Average caseloads ranged from under 20 for part-time case managers to 200.
Final Report: Johannes M. Bos and Veronica Fellerath.  LEAP: Final Report on Ohio's Welfare Initiative to Improve School Attendance Among Teenage Parents.  New York:  Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation, August 1997. (Executive Summary)

New Chance Demonstration
(1989-1992)

Locations: 16 sites:  California (3), Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, New York (2), Oregon (2), Pennsylvania (3)
Target Population: Mothers 16 to 22 years old who were age 19 or younger when they first gave birth, were receiving welfare, did not have a high school diploma or GED, and were not pregnant when they entered the program
Sanctions/ Bonuses: None;  programs were voluntary
Services: Case management;  on-site ABE and GED preparation;  other employment-related services;  good-quality child care on site or nearby;  family planning classes, counseling, and referrals;  parenting classes.  Caseloads, planned to be 25, often rose to 40 or higher.
Final Report: Janet C. Quint, Johannes M. Bos, and Denise F. Polit.  New Chance:  Final Report on a Comprehensive Program for Young Mothers in Poverty and Their Children.  New York:  Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation, September 1997. (Executive Summary)

[ Return to Report ]