Marriage & Family Issues

In recent years, policymakers and program administrators have increasingly focused on the role of noncustodial parents (NCPs) in the lives of low-income families.

In 1994, Minnesota began testing a major welfare reform initiative that emphasized financial incentives for work, a participation requirement for long-term recipients, and the simplification of rules and procedures for receiving public assistance. MDRC conducted an in-depth evaluation of the Minnesota Family Investment Program's effectiveness and impact on various populations served.

This study describes policies and practices in Connecticut, Minnesota, and Texas designed to coordinate the child support enforcement program, Medicaid, and SCHIP in order to secure and sustain appropriate health care coverage for child support-eligible children.

Prepared by: Lisa A. Gennetian Senior Research Associate MDRC Prepared for:U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesOffice of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

Child Support and TANF Interaction: Literature Review Prepared for: Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation Prepared by: The Lewin Group Mary Farrel, Asaph Glosser, and Karen Gardiner under subcontract to Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation April 11, 2003

State Experience and Perspectives on Reducing Out-of-Wedlock Births   Final Report Prepared for: Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation Department of Health and Human Services Prepared by: The Lewin Group, Inc. Mark W. Nowak Michael E. Fishman Mary E. Farrell February 2003

Health Care Coverage Among Child Support-Eligible Children By: Laudan Y. Aron Submitted to:Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary of Planning and Evaluation December 2002

I. Project Background and Goals The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) authorized the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. PRWORA stated four broad goals for TANF:

Prepared by: Robert Lerman Urban Institute and American University This four-paper series examines the economic returns to marriage. Findings from the papers are synthesized in a Summary by Kelleen Kaye, senior analyst at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

This paper builds on the prior work by replicating and expanding the analysis of material hardship, including the role of help from family and friends.