TARGETING SINGLE MOTHERS FOR EMPLOYMENT - COMPARISONS FROM THE UNITED-STATES, BRITAIN, AND CANADA

I compare the policies of the United States, Britain, and Ontario regarding employment expectations for single mothers relying on social assistance and examine the reasons for their marked differences. In the United States, attention to increasing employment for this group is long-standing, and programs have included the use of financial, service, and mandatory work strategies. Ontario's interest is more recent, and its efforts have included financial and service strategies, but the work requirement has been rejected. In contrast, British single mothers' entitlement to income support has remained relatively unchallenged by recent labor force and demographic trends. The factors identified as relevant to an explanation of these differences include general attitudes toward women's labor force participation, the importance of race in the United States, and the extent to which social assistance is delivered on a categorical basis.