Parenting and Poverty: Making the Connection Laura Frame Children’s Hospital and Research Center at Oakland Jill Duerr Berrick School of Social welfare,

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

Poverty’s Effects on the Material Realities of

Parenting

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

Poverty’s Effects on the Psychological Realities of

Parenting

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

Parental Coping in Conditions of Poverty

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

Leticia’s Employabilityin 2000-2001

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

Leticia’s Family Vulnerability2000-2001

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

Would Coordination of CalWORKs And Child Welfare Make

A Difference?

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.