A Controlled Evaluation of Comprehensive Social Services Provided to Teenage Mothers Receiving AFDC

This article reports the evaluation of a community-based program designed to assist teenage mothers receiving Aid to Families With Dependent Children to become self-sufficient. The program began with 204 young mothers randomly assigned to a control (N = 100) or an experimental group (N = 104). At the completion of the demonstration period, total sample size had been reduced to 144, with 83 in the experimental group and 61 in the control group. The results suggest that with labor-intensive casework services, conscientious case management, and systematic linkages to a network of critical supportive social work services and resources, it is possible to align adolescent welfare mothers on the path toward self-sufficiency in a number of critical life areas. However, the benefits of the community intervention were not realized within the first year of involvement in the program; the desired outcomes emerged after nearly 2 years of intensive services.