Welfare Reform and Paternity Establishment: A Social Experiment

In: Journal of policy analysis and management: the journal of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, Band 11, Heft 4, S. 665-687

Abstract

The issue of paternity establishment is central to current concerns about child support, & figures prominently in current welfare reform efforts. Here, 652 cases from the welfare agency in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, are used to evaluate procedures for expediting paternity establishment. At the implementation stage, complex interorganizational dependencies arise that are likely to limit the impact of mandated performance standards & associated sanctions directed at state & local child support agencies. As to the impact on paternity establishment outcomes, interventions directed at expediting administrative processes are likely to have a positive effect. However, the results of the demonstration indicate that noncooperative behavior among a significant portion of the client population is likely to seriously limit the effectiveness of expedited processes. 4 Tables, 20 References. Adapted from the source document.