Studying welfare reform: Challenges and opportunities

Welfare reform has brought major changes in the scope, structure and impact of most programs targeted to the low-income population. This paper describes the methods being used in Iowa to conduct a comprehensive baseline study of welfare reform. The "Family Well-Being and Fiscal Reform in Iowa" project, a cooperative effort by Iowa State University researchers and extension staff involves state- and community-level policy case studies as well as qualitative and quantitative analyses of family well-being.