parenting and poverty: making the connection laura frame children’s hospital and research center...
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Parenting and Poverty: Making the Connection
Laura FrameLaura FrameChildren’s Hospital and Research Center at Children’s Hospital and Research Center at
Oakland Oakland
Jill Duerr BerrickJill Duerr BerrickSchool of Social welfare, U.C. BerkeleySchool of Social welfare, U.C. Berkeley
October, 2009
Overview
How and when do poverty and How and when do poverty and parenting intersectparenting intersect
Introduce “Leticia”Introduce “Leticia” How can Linkages help?How can Linkages help?
What Explains The Relationship Between Employment, TANF/ CalWORKs, and Family Well-
Being?
Effects on Parenting:
Positive
Negative Complicated or
Unknown
Work
Welfare Income
Childcare
Surveillance
TANFService
s
Sanctions&
Penalties
Family Caps
Behavioral Requirements:*Teens live at home*No drug felonies*Paternity establishment*Immunizations
EmploymentIncome
Material Realities of Parenting On Welfare
Reality # 1
Low Income and Restricted Low Income and Restricted Resources Limit Parents’ Capacities Resources Limit Parents’ Capacities to Meet Children’s Basic Needsto Meet Children’s Basic Needs
Material Realities of Parenting On Welfare
Reality # 2
The Dangerous Conditions of The Dangerous Conditions of Many Poor, Urban Neighborhoods Many Poor, Urban Neighborhoods Pose Threats to Children’s Safety Pose Threats to Children’s Safety and Well-Beingand Well-Being
Material Realities of Parenting On Welfare
Reality # 3
Institutional and Structural Institutional and Structural Obstacles Restrict Access to Obstacles Restrict Access to Opportunity or Make the Road to Opportunity or Make the Road to Economic Success More Economic Success More Challenging Challenging
Material Realities of Parenting On Welfare
Reality # 4
There are Often Persisting There are Often Persisting Effects of Deprivation Over a Effects of Deprivation Over a Parent’s Lifetime, Effects that Parent’s Lifetime, Effects that Further Limit the Opportunities Further Limit the Opportunities Open to Them and Their ChildrenOpen to Them and Their Children
Material Realities of Parenting On Welfare
Reality # 5
The Cumulative Effects of The Cumulative Effects of Poverty Conditions Can Influence Poverty Conditions Can Influence Children’s Behavior, Development, Children’s Behavior, Development, and Health Issuesand Health Issues
Psychological Realities of Parenting On Welfare
Reality # 1
The Impact of Facing Serious The Impact of Facing Serious Difficulties in Providing the Difficulties in Providing the Necessities of Life for their ChildrenNecessities of Life for their Children
Psychological Realities of Parenting On Welfare
Reality # 2
A Sense of the Limited A Sense of the Limited Educational, Cultural, and Material Educational, Cultural, and Material Opportunities That a Parent Can Opportunities That a Parent Can Provide in Conditions of PovertyProvide in Conditions of Poverty
Psychological Realities of Parenting On Welfare
Reality # 3
Limited Time and Emotional Limited Time and Emotional Availability to Offer ChildrenAvailability to Offer Children
Psychological Realities of Parenting On Welfare
Reality # 4
Challenges to Protecting Challenges to Protecting Children from HarmChildren from Harm
Psychological Realities of Parenting On Welfare
Reality # 5
A Limited or Foreshortened A Limited or Foreshortened
Sense of Children’s FuturesSense of Children’s Futures
Who is “Leticia?”
Single motherSingle mother 4 children4 children No job history/ no skillsNo job history/ no skills 88thth grade education grade education Began AFDC 1982 – breaks in aid Began AFDC 1982 – breaks in aid
due to prison, loss of childrendue to prison, loss of children Previous substance abuse - in Previous substance abuse - in
recoveryrecovery
Leticia’s Welfare/Child Welfare Timeline
1982 – 1997
1st Child Born
2nd Child Born
LeticiaIn & Out of Prison
(SSI Eligiblefor Drug Addictio
n)
4th Child Born
(Cut offSSI a few
months later)
1982
1987 1996
1997
3rd Child Born
AFDC No GA, No AFDC
SSIAFDC & SSI
3 Children Removed, Placed in
Foster Care
Leticia’s Welfare/Child Welfare Timeline
1997 – 2001
Leticia in Prison
4th Child Living with Partner &
Collecting AFDC,
Removed to FC5th
Child Born
2001
Rec’d. EmergencyTANF Check
4th Child Reunifiedwith Leticia
1997
1998
1999
2000
4th Child Removed, Placed in Foster
Care
5th Child Removed, Placed
with Father
(Cut offSSI a few
months later)
No GA, No TANF
-------TANF/CalWORKs-------
Family Cap
Began CalWORKs & some PT work
Leticia’s ParentingAs Observed in 2000-2001
Characterized by:Characterized by: High warmth, responsiveness, engagementHigh warmth, responsiveness, engagement Parent and child enjoyed one anotherParent and child enjoyed one another All basic care and protection needs metAll basic care and protection needs met Leticia relatively secure about herself as a Leticia relatively secure about herself as a
parentparent Leticia worried yet hopeful about Dashon's Leticia worried yet hopeful about Dashon's
futurefuture Leticia coped quite well with parenting in Leticia coped quite well with parenting in
conditions of povertyconditions of poverty
From Welfare to Work
Barriers to employmentBarriers to employmentInadequate educationInadequate educationLittle work experienceLittle work experienceInadequate job skillsInadequate job skillsLack of understanding of Lack of understanding of workplace norms and behaviorsworkplace norms and behaviors
• Employer discriminationEmployer discrimination• Domestic violenceDomestic violence
Substance abuseSubstance abuseMental and physical health problemsMental and physical health problems
• Inadequate child careInadequate child careLack of reliable transportationLack of reliable transportation
Leticia as a case example
From CalWORKs to Child Welfare
May, 2001
New babyNew baby RelapsedRelapsed 44thth child removed child removed
to non-kin foster careto non-kin foster care Infant sent to fatherInfant sent to father Leticia disappearedLeticia disappeared
Economic Precursors toChild Welfare Involvement
Work sanctionsWork sanctions Family CapFamily Cap Increase in expenses Increase in expenses
related to infantrelated to infant
Family Vulnerabilities
Known risk factorsKnown risk factorsSingle parentSingle parentYoung childYoung childLarge familyLarge familySignificant time on aid Significant time on aid
• Breaks in aidBreaks in aid• Birth outcomesBirth outcomes
Substance abuseSubstance abuseHardshipsHardships
• Prior child welfare contactPrior child welfare contact
Which CalWORKs clients mightbenefit from a coordinated
services approach?
What would such an approachlook like?
Which child welfare families mightbenefit from a coordinated
services approach?
What would such an approachlook like?
Acknowledgements
Thanks to the following for their collaboration on welfare – child Thanks to the following for their collaboration on welfare – child welfare projects in the Center for Social Services Research at welfare projects in the Center for Social Services Research at U.C. Berkeley: Stephanie Cuccaro-Alamin, Barbara Needell, Jodie U.C. Berkeley: Stephanie Cuccaro-Alamin, Barbara Needell, Jodie Langs, and Lisa Varchol.Langs, and Lisa Varchol.
““Material realities” were excerpted from: Frame, L. (2008). Material realities” were excerpted from: Frame, L. (2008). Where poverty and parenting intersect: The impact of welfare Where poverty and parenting intersect: The impact of welfare reform on caregiving. In J.D. Berrick & B. Fuller (Eds). Good reform on caregiving. In J.D. Berrick & B. Fuller (Eds). Good parents or good workers? How policy affects parents’ daily lives. parents or good workers? How policy affects parents’ daily lives. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.New York: Palgrave Macmillan.
Data pertaining to “Leticia” were derived from: Frame, L. , & Data pertaining to “Leticia” were derived from: Frame, L. , & Berrick, J.D. (2003) The effects of welfare reform on families Berrick, J.D. (2003) The effects of welfare reform on families involved with public child welfare services: Results from a involved with public child welfare services: Results from a qualitative study. qualitative study. Children and Youth Services Review, Children and Youth Services Review, 25(1-2), 25(1-2), 113-138.113-138.
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