2011 The Palm Beach County Family Study (Full Report)

Specifically, mothers living outside of the Glades were more likely than those residing in the Glades to beHispanic, and those living in the Glades were more likely to be black. In addition, those living outside theTGAs were more likely than mothers in the other two groups to be white or another race. Thesedifferences were reflected in differences with respect to nativity. Thus, mothers living in the Glades weremore likely to have been born in the United States than those living outside the Glades. Finally, mothersliving in the Glades were more likely to have a high school diploma or more than those living outside theGlades.Sample Characteristics by NativityAnother important factor to consider in determining the effect of service use on family functioning andchildren’s development is nativity. Research indicates that children growing up in these families facenumerous risks, including poverty, low parental education, linguistic isolation, and poor neighborhoodand school quality (e.g., Chase-Lansdale, Valdovinos D'Angelo, & Palacios, 2007; Hernandez, Denton, &Macartney, 2007). The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act prohibitsmost foreign-born individuals who have lived in the United States for less than 5 years from receivingpublic benefits such as Medicaid and Food Stamps (e.g., King 2007). Findings presented in previousreports of this study, as well as a growing body of literature, indicate that even among eligible groups ofpeople, foreign-born individuals are less likely to take up these and other services than U.S.-bornindividuals (e.g., Dinan, 2005a, 2005b). Given the growing population of foreign-born people in PalmBeach County, it is particularly important to examine service use in relation to the characteristics,experiences, and outcomes of foreign-born families with young children (many of whom are U.S.citizens) in the county. The vast majority of these children are U.S. citizens, and their successfulintegration into the educational system will increase the likelihood that they grow up to be productiveadults.Table 8 presents selected characteristics of the sample families as a function of nativity. 16 Along withrace/ethnic and TGA differences between the two groups, we found statistically significant differences inmother’s age, the likelihood of being a teen mother at the birth of the focal child, education, maritalstatus, employment, use of income supports, and home ownership. Foreign-born mothers wereapproximately 4 years older than U.S.-born mothers, more likely to be married or single and living with apartner than U.S.-born mothers (20% and 24%, respectively), and less likely to have been a teen mother16 In previous reports, we compared characteristics of mothers who had been in the United States for less than 5 years versus 5 yearsor more, but we did not do so here because only a few mothers still reported being in the country for less than 5 years at the year 5survey.Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago 17