Children of TANF Leavers in Missouri: How Are They Faring?

Abstract

In 1998, Missouri was one of 14 states chosen by the Department of Health and Human Services to assess the well-being of individuals leaving cash assistance. Approximately 2400 households that left Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) in the fourth quarter of 1996 or left Temporary Assistant to Needy Families (TANF) in the fourth quarter of 1997 were interviewed by phone two and one half years later. For households leaving TANF, questions were asked about the physical health, behavior problems, school engagement, and positive behavior of randomly chosen children within the household. If applicable, one young child (0-5) was chosen, as well an older child (6-17), since recent research has found worse outcomes for adolescents than for younger children (Brooks et.al, 2001).