Options and Obstacles of County-Level Data in Planning and Monitoring Welfare Reform

This article examines the duration and frequency of exit from Home Relief, New York's equivalent to General Assistance. We compiled data on 724 individuals randomly selected from case records dating from 1972 to 1996 and compared personal characteristics, use of program services, duration and number of spells of Home Relief, and the rate of first exit of those who entered the program before 1989 and those who entered after 1989. Because of the similarities between the Home Relief and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) systems in recipient requirements and maintenance of caseload records, county administrators looked to the dynamics of Home Relief to aid in planning for welfare reform. We highlight some of the issues that may arise in using county-level data systems to inform planning for and responding to welfare reform's reporting requirements.