Parental Coresidence Transitions for Children in the Years Surrounding Welfare Reform: Evidence from the Survey of Program Dynamics

• Activity Number: 173
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 13, 2002 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
• Sponsor: Section on Government Statistics*
• Author(s): Rose Kreider*+
• Affiliation(s): U.S. Census Bureau
• Keywords: parental coresidence ; children ; living arrangements ; welfare reform

Abstract

Using recently released longitudinal Survey of Program Dynamics (SPD) data, I consider parental coresidence transitions for children under 18, focusing on those in households below 200 percent of poverty. I look at changes in children's residence in one- or two-parent arrangements in 1993 and 1998, spanning the passage of welfare reform. I compare living arrangement transitions for children of: (leavers) those who received aid in 1993 but not in 1998; (stayers) those who received aid at both times; and (non-recipients), those who did not receive aid at either time. A much higher percentage of non-recipients were in stable two-parent arrangements, compared with stayers and leavers, while a higher percentage of stayers were in stable one-parent arrangements than leavers and non-recipients. Of children with one coresident parent at time one, those with a single dad are more likely to gain a parent than those with a single mom. Stayers are less likely than non-recipients to gain a parent. Use of characteristics at time one allows prospective prediction of the transition. Comparisons of the weighted SPD sample with the 1993 CPS (Current Population Survey) will help evaluate potential bias in the SPD.