Use of the Survey of Program Dynamics (SPD) for Studying the Implications of Welfare Reform for Families and Children

Written by:
SPD2002-1

Introduction

During the early 1990s, with permission from the federal government, states altered welfare rules to forge their own programs. This period of experimentation by states was followed in 1996 by sweeping welfare reform legislation that eliminated the entitlement to public assistance and tightened work and behavioral requirements. At the same time, economic prosperity attracted nonworkers into the work force.

Page Last Revised - October 8, 2021