Isabel V. Sawhill

The Welfare Reform Act of 1996 contains many provisions designed to reduce the number of out-of-wedlock and teenage births. Among the provisions is a requirement for minor teen mothers to live with their parents and stay in school, new funding for abstinence-only sex education in schools, and a stronger emphasis on paternity and child support obligations. In the following viewpoint, Isabel V. Sawhill argues that states have been given the tools necessary to improve present conditions, and if implemented properly, welfare reform could significantly affect the number of teen pregnancies and illegitimate births. Sawhill is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institute, a social, economic, government, and foreign policy critic.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Sawhill, what have states emphasized since the welfare reform bill instead of teenage pregnancies"

2. Why does...