In 1996 Congress passed a Federal Welfare Reform Act that dismantled the welfare system created by Lyndon Johnson's Great Society programs. In the aftermath of these sweeping changes, central questions remain unanswered. How will families survive as mothers move from the home to the workplace? Who will care for the children? Will parents face increased pressure? Will the traditional community anchors--churches, clinics, shelters, food banks--be overwhelmed? How will child-bearing and family mobility be affected? Will people fare better in some states than in others?

Two researchers at The University of Texas at Austin are playing key roles in a monumental new study of the effects of welfare reform on low-income families. Professors Ronald Angel and Laura Lein are collaborating on the San Antonio phase of the three-city study, which is examining the diminished role of welfare in the cities of San Antonio, Boston, and Chicago.

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