The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) reauthorized the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grant and made modifications expected to strengthen work requirements for families receiving cash assistance through state TANF programs. Both the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and states were required to take steps to…

A 3-year study of welfare reform in Ohio's 29 Appalachian counties surveyed human services agencies, county commissioners, poor families, and employers and found that rural barriers to employment included lack of jobs, lack of child care, poor health, lack of education and job skills, and transportation problems. Many former welfare recipients…

This book examines welfare reform, occasioned by the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA), which abolished Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and replaced it with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). It is based on research in Ohio, Kansas, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan that…

Follow-up surveys were conducted of adult clients who participated under Titles IIA and III of the Job Training Partnership (JTP) Act in Ohio. Data were gathered from JTP clients 13 and 26 weeks after completion of the program and combined with data from the state management information system, and a survey of a sample of employers of JTP-Ohio…

This report presents the fourth-year findings on the effectiveness of Ohio's Learning, Earning, and Parenting (LEAP) Program, a statewide welfare initiative that uses financial incentives and penalties to promote school attendance by pregnant and parenting teenagers on welfare. The report looks at LEAP's effects on school completion, employment,…

A study aimed to provide education and welfare officials with information on the experiences of welfare/education programs as they had been implemented in five states. The states (California, Florida, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin) represented a range of noteworthy approaches to providing education to welfare recipients, including some dramatic…

A net impact evaluation was conducted of the Ohio JOBS (Job Opportunities and Basic Skills) Student Retention Program (JSRP) pursued by some JOBS program clients to fulfill their responsibilities and receive federal aid. JSRP was a support program designed to assist entry to and success in programs of study at two-year community or technical…

This document highlights 101 partnerships developed as part of Ohio's welfare reform initiative, Ohio Works First (OWF). Section 1 deals with communication strategies: a new lexicon; interagency information exchange and confidentiality issues; intake, referral, and case management tools; and cross-agency communications. Section 2 describes…

This document is the first annual report of findings for the process analysis component of an evaluation of the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Program (JOBS) in Ohio. Chapter I reviews the legislative history of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and related programs and describes work programs and work program evaluations in Ohio.…

This second annual report describes implementation of the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) program in Ohio. Part I is a synthesis of findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information obtained in 15 demonstration counties. Chapter 1 provides background on the historical development of assistance programs in the United States…

This third annual report describes implementation of the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) program in Ohio. Part I is a synthesis of findings, conclusions, and recommendations based on information obtained in 15 demonstration counties. Chapter 1 provides background on historical development of assistance programs in the United States and…

These matrices summarize the content of the certification/chartering requirements established by nine first-round and three second-round implementation states to deliver services in One-Stop Career Centers. Seven areas or dimensions of design/operations are compared. The narrative accompanying the matrices is divided into two sections--a matrix…

Ohio, like other states, will soon begin implementing parts of a sweeping new federal welfare reform law. These seven 1- and 2-page reports, issued under the general heading of "Ohio Children: Together We Can Help Them Grow," describe various Ohio welfare programs, providing statistics on their costs and usage rates, as well as changes…

An analysis of Ohio's Learning, Earning, and Parenting (LEAP) program focused on the first 18 months of program operations. The 12 randomly selected research counties contained about two-thirds of the statewide teen population targeted by LEAP. The analysis relied on field research, supplemented by data collected from county human service agencies…

The 1998 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) was the first federal legislation to contain a "charitable choice" provision allowing faith-based organizations (FBOs) to compete for state and federal government funds on the same basis as secular providers. For FBOs that consider pursuit of government…