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AbstractChildren age out of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program at 60 months and become eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) upon kindergarten entry. During this period of time, low‐income children experience fewer food support services than at any other time. Using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, we examine the effects of the duration of the coverage gap between WIC and NSLP on kindergarteners' skills. Results show evidence of negative effects on reading, though not on math. Findings also suggest that, for children in full‐day kindergarten, effects on reading fade out in the spring term.

Current critiques of the official federal poverty measure have led to a growing interest in alternative measures of well-being, such as individual reports of the inability to meet basic needs. This article considers a wide set of risk factors for four different forms of material hardship (food insufficiency, utility disconnection, unmet medical needs, and housing problems) using data from a panel study of single mothers. Specifically, the authors analyze the role of maternal health, household composition, and income on entrances into and exits from material hardship. The results show that there is a great deal of heterogeneity across forms of material hardship but that in general, the predictions of the authors' conceptual model are confirmed. Determinants of entrances into material hardship differ from those that predict exits, suggesting that interventions to help families exit from material hardship may need to address different issues than those that triggered the entrance into material hardship in the first place.

Objectives. This study examines whether the mental health consequences associated with food insufficiency vary by food stamp participation status and/or the value of the food stamp benefit received.Methods. We use longitudinal data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics along with fixed‐effect methods that control for unobserved heterogeneity to test our hypotheses.Results. We find that, conditional on the food stamp benefit amount, the emotional distress associated with food insufficiency is higher among food stamp participants. Moreover, we find evidence of a dosage effect such that food‐insufficient individuals who receive higher amounts of food stamp benefits suffer greater emotional distress than food‐insufficient individuals who receive lower levels of food stamp benefits. However, the negative mental health effects of food insufficiency and food stamp participation are driven primarily by periods of transition onto the Food Stamp Program and into food insufficiency.Conclusions. The negative mental health aspects of participating in the Food Stamp Program seem to outweigh the positive mental health aspects, at least during the period of application and initial receipt, suggesting that programmatic reform is needed to improve overall well‐being among new participants.

Objectives. This study examines how welfare participation and employment affect women's wages.Methods. We use longitudinal data from the 1996 Survey of Income and Program Participation and fixed‐effects regression models to test our hypotheses.Results. Our results indicate that time spent on welfare while unemployed results in a wage penalty that is similar to the penalty associated with nonwelfare work breaks. Time spent on welfare while employed has no effect on wages, unlike the strong positive impact of nonwelfare work periods.Conclusions. Working while on welfare does appear to prevent further wage deterioration, but does not lead to substantial wage growth.

Objectives. This study examines how welfare participation & employment affect women's wages. Methods. We use longitudinal data from the 1996 Survey of Income & Program Participation & fixed-effects regression models to test our hypotheses. Results. Our results indicate that time spent on welfare while unemployed results in a wage penalty that is similar to the penalty associated with nonwelfare work breaks. Time spent on welfare while employed has no effect on wages, unlike the strong positive impact of nonwelfare work periods. Conclusions. Working while on welfare does appear to prevent further wage deterioration, but does not lead to substantial wage growth. Tables, References. Adapted from the source document.