Poor children and welfare reform /

Golden is concerned about the fate of poor children under the 1988 Family Support Act, which mandates employment training for AFDC mothers with children over three years of age. She views welfare reform as providing dangers as well as opportunities for children. Golden's study follows the tradition of Lisbeth Schorr's Within Our Reach: Breaking the Cycle of Disadvantage (1988) by identifying public programs where concern for children shapes policy. Eight model sites were selected for their commitment to comprehensive services to welfare families. Model programs provide case management under mission statements of commitment to better lives for welfare families and children. Well-trained staff reach out to families and coordinate with existing child-serving agencies under flexible funding arrangements. Golden does not minimize the institutional changes necessary if public welfare is to serve children well. As a descriptive policy study, the book lacks research data to document "successful" outcomes. Yet the common characteristics and challenges in the programs are thought provoking. Recommended. Advanced undergraduate; graduate; professional. M. E. Elwell; Salisbury State University