| Abstract: | Objectives. The 1996 welfare reform laws required that parents under the age of 18 live with their parents or an adult relative and enroll in school to be eligible for welfare benefits. This study examines whether minor mothers were less likely to drop out of school and more likely to live with parents following welfare reform. Methods. Data from the National Education Longitudinal Survey 1988 and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1997 were used in difference‐in‐difference analyses. Results. Following welfare reform, minor mothers' co‐residence with parents increased and their drop‐out rates decreased. Conclusions. Welfare reform requirements are associated with changes in living arrangements and drop‐out rates of minor mothers. |
