Abstract: The relationship between women and social welfare is an important issue in social policy research. According to assumptions, rules and practices, AFDC is a gendered social policy program. From the existing division of gender, it emphasized the practical gender needs and strengthened their roles of mother and children career. During 19621996, poor singlemothers became the main recipient of AFDC benefit and were stigmatized as welfare queen. Even workfare, including work requirement and work incentive, was emphasized to end the welfare dependency by AFDC and TANF. But these social policies caused some of them to become the working poor, and face the dual burdens of employment and children care. Only when the structural division of labor market is changed and public service system for children is built from strategic gender needs, could the social and economic status of single mothers be improved.

Key words: Singlemothers, AFDC, TANF, practical gender needs, strategic gender needs