WOMEN, CHILDREN, AND WELFARE-REFORM

Who are the targets of welfare reform? How should welfare be reformed? national interest in investing in children related, ideologically and strategically? This article sheds light on these questions by discussing the poverty status of female-headed families with children, the impact of public income transfers on reducing the poverty rate of these families, and the effects of recent changes in welfare policies. It reviews several welfare reform proposals and suggests directions that policymakers might take in reforming welfare.