Our focus is helping management, front-line staff, legislators, and advocates meet the many challenges associated with implementing and evaluating welfare and child support reform. We provide research, training and information services that shape and enhance policies and program for Maryland's families. In addition, we are active participants in policy workgroups, task forces, and legislative hearings.

The Research Team's primarily activity is leveraging administrative data to provide empirically-based, policy-relevant information for decision-makers in the welfare and child support fields. In addition to a number of smaller child support and welfare projects, the Group produces two report series which provide a barometer of welfare reform in Maryland: Life After Welfare, a longitudinal, nationally-acclaimed study of welfare leavers; and Life on Welfare, a series of studies focusing on the circumstances of special populations in the current welfare caseload.

Our Paternity Affidavit Information Reporting Unit (PAIR) manages the state's voluntary paternity acknowledgement database and provides a valuable Faxback service to local workers who need to obtain copies of affidavits quickly.

Our Policy and Skills Training Team (PSTT) provides professional classroom training on a variety of pertinent topics for both state and local staff involved with welfare reform.
Website: http://www.familywelfare.umaryland.edu/
School(s): School of Social Work
Contacts:
Kathy Patterson
410-706-4404
kpatters@ssw.umaryland.edu

Community Served: Statewide
Services Provided:
Client type: Other
Client Type Other: front-line staff, legislators, and advocates
Physical Location: On Campus
School System Served:
Office Location:
Service Location: University of Maryland School of Social Work 525 W. Redwood Street Baltimore MD 21201
Program Timeframe: Continuous
Health Fairs:

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