Fragile Families Summer Fragile Families Summer Data Workshop 2004Data Workshop 2004

Public Policies: Welfare, Child Public Policies: Welfare, Child Support Enforcement and HousingSupport Enforcement and Housing

Marah A. CurtisMarah A. Curtis

Research Questions and Fragile Research Questions and Fragile Families DataFamilies Data

The effects of public policy and personal The effects of public policy and personal characteristics on child visitation among characteristics on child visitation among unmarried parentsunmarried parents

The effects of sanctioning on the well-being of The effects of sanctioning on the well-being of mothers and their childrenmothers and their children

The impact of benefit levels and local area The impact of benefit levels and local area economic conditions on the living economic conditions on the living arrangements of parentsarrangements of parents

Welfare Measures in FFWelfare Measures in FF

TANF/FS receipt combined in baselineTANF/FS receipt combined in baseline TANF and FS receipt measurable separately at TANF and FS receipt measurable separately at

one year and three yearone year and three year Benefit reductions due to non-compliance with Benefit reductions due to non-compliance with

requirements measurable at one year and three requirements measurable at one year and three yearyear

Earned Income Tax Credit Earned Income Tax Credit

Hardship/Program Participation Hardship/Program Participation MeasuresMeasures

FF one year and three year data include FF one year and three year data include questions about hardships due to lack of questions about hardships due to lack of moneymoney

Hunger, eviction, inability to pay utility bills, Hunger, eviction, inability to pay utility bills, unable to get medical care, move into a shelterunable to get medical care, move into a shelter

Respondents are asked about receipt of Respondents are asked about receipt of Medicaid, child care vouchers, Head Start, Medicaid, child care vouchers, Head Start, WICWIC

Housing in FFHousing in FF

Measures for: renting alone, renting with Measures for: renting alone, renting with others, live with family (no rent), own a home, others, live with family (no rent), own a home, shelter, halfway house – facilityshelter, halfway house – facility

Residence in a public housing project, Residence in a public housing project, vouchers, section 8vouchers, section 8

Monthly mortgage payments and rent Monthly mortgage payments and rent paymentspayments

External Policy MeasuresExternal Policy Measures

External measures appended to Fragile External measures appended to Fragile Families data by State or CityFamilies data by State or City

Unemployment rate, TANF/FS maximum Unemployment rate, TANF/FS maximum guarantee for a family of three, child support guarantee for a family of three, child support enforcement, FMRenforcement, FMR

External measures created using Census data: External measures created using Census data: sex ratios, housing costssex ratios, housing costs

Technical IssuesTechnical Issues

Find external data source: Census, CPS, Green Find external data source: Census, CPS, Green Book, OCSEBook, OCSE

Create measure in external data sourceCreate measure in external data source Place in Excel spreadsheet and save as csv.docPlace in Excel spreadsheet and save as csv.doc Read csv.doc into a stata data file using insheetRead csv.doc into a stata data file using insheet Be sure an indicator for city or state exists, Be sure an indicator for city or state exists,

defined in exactly the same way, in both data.defined in exactly the same way, in both data. Merge external policy data into FF datasetMerge external policy data into FF dataset