1. Fragile Families Summer Data Workshop 2004 Public Policies: Welfare, Child Support Enforcement and Housing Marah A. Curtis

2. Research Questions and Fragile Families Data The effects of public policy and personal characteristics on child visitation among unmarried parents The effects of public policy and personal characteristics on child visitation among unmarried parents The effects of sanctioning on the well-being of mothers and their children The effects of sanctioning on the well-being of mothers and their children The impact of benefit levels and local area economic conditions on the living arrangements of parents The impact of benefit levels and local area economic conditions on the living arrangements of parents

3. Welfare Measures in FF TANF/FS receipt combined in baseline TANF/FS receipt combined in baseline TANF and FS receipt measurable separately at one year and three year TANF and FS receipt measurable separately at one year and three year Benefit reductions due to non-compliance with requirements measurable at one year and three year Benefit reductions due to non-compliance with requirements measurable at one year and three year Earned Income Tax Credit Earned Income Tax Credit

4. Hardship/Program Participation Measures FF one year and three year data include questions about hardships due to lack of money FF one year and three year data include questions about hardships due to lack of money Hunger, eviction, inability to pay utility bills, unable to get medical care, move into a shelter Hunger, eviction, inability to pay utility bills, unable to get medical care, move into a shelter Respondents are asked about receipt of Medicaid, child care vouchers, Head Start, WIC Respondents are asked about receipt of Medicaid, child care vouchers, Head Start, WIC

5. Housing in FF Measures for: renting alone, renting with others, live with family (no rent), own a home, shelter, halfway house – facility Measures for: renting alone, renting with others, live with family (no rent), own a home, shelter, halfway house – facility Residence in a public housing project, vouchers, section 8 Residence in a public housing project, vouchers, section 8 Monthly mortgage payments and rent payments Monthly mortgage payments and rent payments

6. External Policy Measures External measures appended to Fragile Families data by State or City External measures appended to Fragile Families data by State or City Unemployment rate, TANF/FS maximum guarantee for a family of three, child support enforcement, FMR Unemployment rate, TANF/FS maximum guarantee for a family of three, child support enforcement, FMR External measures created using Census data: sex ratios, housing costs External measures created using Census data: sex ratios, housing costs

7. Technical Issues Find external data source: Census, CPS, Green Book, OCSE Find external data source: Census, CPS, Green Book, OCSE Create measure in external data source Create measure in external data source Place in Excel spreadsheet and save as csv.doc Place in Excel spreadsheet and save as csv.doc Read csv.doc into a stata data file using insheet Read csv.doc into a stata data file using insheet Be sure an indicator for city or state exists, defined in exactly the same way, in both data. Be sure an indicator for city or state exists, defined in exactly the same way, in both data. Merge external policy data into FF dataset Merge external policy data into FF dataset