Welfare reform and teenage girls

Objectives. Although the problems of teenage girls figured prominently in the passage of welfare reform legislation in 1996, there has been relatively little research on the effects of the new law on this population. This article attempts to fill this gap. Methods. The article employs a difference-in-difference methodology to assess program impacts, making use of data from the March Current Population Survey for the years 1989-2001. Results. The main findings are that the 1996 legislation increased school attendance among all teenage girls and reduced the rate of teenage childbearing. Conclusion. These are important behavioral changes that should positively affect the program's long-term success.