| Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation |
| Print Version |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, May 31, 2000, 2:30 PM EDT
Contact: Michael Kharfen, (202) 401-9215
Statement by Olivia A. Golden, HHS Assistant Secretary for Children and Families
On The Study of Minnesota's Family Investment Program
"The study released
today by the Manpower Demonstration Research
Corporation on the Minnesota Family Investment Program provides comprehensive
results of a state welfare reform program that increased employment and
earnings, and showed for the first time that a well-designed program can
reduce poverty, promote two-parent families, decrease domestic violence
and improve child well-being. The report also found that children spent
more time in stable, formal child care combined with higher family employment
and income. This assessment adds to the urgency for the Administration's
$817 million proposal to help more parents find reliable, affordable and
quality child care.
"Minnesota's
enormously important study results offer an effective model program for
other states. With the economy's strength -- lowest unemployment rate
in 30 years -- and states having federal dollars available, Minnesota's
program proves that investments in families can pay off with positive
results. The State shares the work-first approach of requiring parents
to move into jobs quickly of other states. Yet, it has gone beyond that
primary goal of the 1996 welfare reform law to achieve the other goals
of welfare reform as in encouraging two-parent family formation and better
outcomes for children. Minnesota was the only state to receive three out
of four bonuses last year in the first award of the welfare high performance
bonus. Never before have we seen such clear results that more families
became or stay married from a welfare program. Never before have we seen
results that the rates of women experiencing domestic violence have decreased
from a welfare program. Also, we learned that children can have more health
insurance and reduce their problem behavior.
"A key feature
of the program is that it enabled working families to supplement earnings
and truly make work pay. This feature appears to be central to the strong
results and adds urgency to state and Federal efforts to provide supports
to working families, including child care, health care, nutritional assistance,
and earnings supplements such as the EITC.
"We have more
to do. Congress must not pass up the opportunity this year to support
more working families and increase federal child care funds. States must
not pass up the opportunity to invest now in well-designed programs to
reach all families on the welfare rolls with the chance for self-sufficiency.
We, at HHS, will continue to encourage and support research and evaluation
to share valuable information on how welfare reform is progressing."
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are
available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
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