By Joan Crigger
January 10, 2005

The Conference of Mayors has been successful in arranging for New York Times reporter Jason DeParle to discuss his recently released book American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation's Drive to End Welfare on Tuesday, January 18 at 8:30 a.m. during the 73rd Annual Winter Meeting.

DeParle's book examines the consequences of welfare reform and combines personal narratives with policy analysis. As a senior writer for the New York Times who had reported on inner-city life for more than a decade, DeParle decided to explore the impact of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, which was passed in 1996, to change "welfare." As then President Bill Clinton said, we will "end welfare as we know it."

In the book, DeParle looks at the lives of three women that he follows for nearly 10 years. The women moved from the high-rise projects of Chicago to Milwaukee, where benefits were higher, as set up house together in the triple-decker projects there. Despite the serious difficulties that these women face in moving from welfare to work, DeParle ends his book with a possibility of a better future, — a shot at the American Dream."

The session, sponsored by the partnership between the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF), will be moderated by Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell. Following DeParle's comments on his book, Bob Giloth, Director of Family Economic Success at AECF, and Robert Rector, Senior Research Fellow on Domestic Studies at the Heritage Foundation, will react to the presentation.

Following the session, there will be an opportunity to purchase a signed copy of DeParle's book.