The Urban Institute research on welfare reform includes family well-being, state programs, TANF as well as other related topics.

Lisa is 28 years old, an 8th grade graduate, and a mother of four, who did what Congress required in 1996, and left welfare for paying work. In our monthly column, Stacey Palmer explores why being a "welfare success story" means her friend Lisa is facing a reality that few of us can imagine.

The Center, located at Tufts University, brings the latest empirical evidence to the attention of policy makers, the press and the public, and provides advocacy groups and citizen organizations with the latest knowledge in relevant fields.

Shirley Hedges has cared for more than 200 children living in foster care. "Congress," she says, "has to understand that it takes more money to raise these kids into adulthood. And the dollars spent now - will be dollars saved in the future, when we're not supporting them as offenders in the criminal system."

Over half-a-million children are in the child welfare system due to abuse or neglect. In this column, Julee Newberger describes her experience as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), a community volunteer trained to speak on behalf of a child in court.

As thousands hit time limits on welfare assistance, states are struggling to give people the skills to find not just a job, but work that will help them pull their families up and out of poverty. Connect for Kids explores the supports families and children are getting to survive after welfare.

This agency provides statistics, publications and legislative updates regarding the government's role in ensuring child support.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture contributes to food security and works to reduce hunger in partnership with cooperating organizations by providing children and low-income people access to food, a healthful diet and nutrition education.

Overall spending on health care will double by 2007, rising from $1 trillion in 1996 to $2.1 trillion in 2007, according to a 1998 study issued by the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA). Children are the first to pay the price when health care costs go up, as employers drop dependent coverage and families find it hard to make up the difference.