This study will examine welfare policies in Ontario since 1985, evaluating the welfare reforms initiated under the newly elected provincial government in June 1995. These will be compared with reforms of welfare policies in the United States, which have proven abundantly successful in reducing dependency, increasing employment and earnings of welfare leavers, and lowering poverty rates, as well as with reforms of welfare policies undertaken by other Canadian jurisdictions.

The following evaluation is based upon six principles that research has found to play a prominent role in effective welfare reform. The criteria selected cover two broad areas: policy and program delivery.