Do rises in income and employment brought about by anti-poverty and welfare reform experiments affect survival strategies of young, single mothers and the school performance of their children? Does this differ depending on race/ethnic groups? The researcher also examined if such effects, considered within racial/ethnic groups, differed according to policy approaches.
Recent follow-up data from welfare-to-work experiments conducted in the 1990s suggests that the fit between parents' goals and the approach of welfare policy may matter for children. Welfare programs that emphasize educational activities such as adult basic education have positive effects on children's school performance and social behavior when parents express a desire to pursue their own education. These findings suggest potential benefits for families when caseworkers tailor their recommendations to the expressed goals of low-income parents.
The researcher, a William T. Grant Scholar, served as the chief editor of Making it Work: Low-Wage Employment, Family Life, and Child Development. The book's findings suggest that policies that facilitate wage growth, reduce job instability, and increase flexibility in daytime work hours improve children's school performance and classroom social behaviors. These findings argue for increases in “make work pay” policies such as earned income tax credits at the federal and state levels, other wage supplement policies for the working poor, and increases in flextime schedules in low-wage workplaces.
In a related line of work funded by the Foundation, Yoshikawa conducted research with low-income immigrant parents in New York. He found that some immigrant parents show low rates of participation in financial and other institutions, and that this may influence children's development. Mexicans reported lower levels of household access to financial resources and identification, such as checking or savings accounts and drivers' licenses, than Dominican immigrant parents or U.S.-born African Americans. Limited access to financial institutions is related to increases in financial hardship, psychological distress, and children's poor cognitive development. Other studies show that Mexicans in New York have higher rates of undocumented status than Dominicans. This work demonstrates that experiences associated with being undocumented, including limited access to financial institutions, may matter for children.