The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) with block grants to states, called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Consistent with TANF's philosophy and goals, Los Angeles Jobs-First GAIN (Greater Avenues for Independence) emphasized job search…

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 reviews existing research on the labor force participation and employment of Southeast Asian refugees, in the context of an apparent paradox between reports of positive labor force participation and high rates of public assistance usage by refugees. Following an introduction, Part II reviews the available evidence on general labor…

A study of Hawaii's JOBS WORKS! waiver demonstration project determined its influence on participant self-sufficiency and receipt of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). Hawaii received a waiver to lift the 8-week federal limitation on upfront job search, operate on less than a statewide basis, require 18 hours of work, and secure…

This report previews the Self-Sufficiency Project's (SSP's) longer-term effects by looking at these four related issues: wage progression, job retention, marital status, and attitudes toward work. A companion report, available separately, examines SSP's effects on children. Chapter 1 discusses the SSP research and demonstration project that…

The effectiveness of the Saturation Work Initiative Model (SWIM) was evaluated after its fifth year of operation in San Diego. Data on SWIM on participants' employment, earnings, and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) receipt were compared to those persons in one of several control groups consisting of members of the AFDC-unemployed…

A study examined the effect of the Targeted Jobs Tax Credit (TJTC) on a variety of employer- and employment-related outcomes. Data were collected from two databases and a set of case studies. Although most employers report having heard of TJTC, only a small number of firms were actually participating in the program. TJTC did not appear to change…

A study was conducted to determine whether existing work tests affected the timing and quality of jobs found after a period during which a person both received welfare benefits and had to register with the Employment Service (ES) in connection with their receipt. Six measurable aspects of a work test applicable to individuals were identified:…

The 1996 welfare reform act forced many poor parents into the labor market, with little understanding of how the parents' workforce participation would affect family life in general and their children in particular. In this paper, researchers examine the relationship between parental workforce participation, welfare receipt, and children's…

This paper examines patterns of change in the number of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients in nonmetropolitan and metropolitan Texas counties, 1980-1990. Specifically, the paper analyzes how changes in AFDC enrollment can be explained by demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and the extent to which factors explaining…

The high poverty rate (13.8 percent) among Nebraska's children is cause for concern, since there is strong evidence that poverty can hinder development and adversely affect children's ability to become productive adults. It is commonly assumed that poor children live in families where parents could work but do not. Yet in Nebraska, of poor…

This report examines the civil consequences of criminal records on ex-offender parents and their long-term ability to reintegrate into the community, resume parental responsibilities, and be productive members of the society. Many of the barriers described in this report are the results of policies intended to reduce crime, yet they have the…

In 1998, the Illinois statewide coalition Work, Welfare and Families, in partnership with the Chicago Urban League, undertook a study to assess the effects of welfare reform on low-income families and children across Illinois. The findings were derived from three sources: a self-administered survey of 2,166 low-income clients of Illinois social…

A large-scale evaluation was conducted of Jobs-First GAIN, a strongly employment-focused mandatory welfare-to-work program. Its main features were an unusually intensive program orientation; high quality job clubs; job development activities; strong encouragement to take entry-level jobs and combine work and welfare in the short-term; and…

The new federal welfare reform law limits recipients' college access to one year while on welfare, and requires 20 hours of work a week. Predicting the results of the new regulations is difficult because data are lacking, but many students would lose benefits. The new policy also ignores issues such as child care, transportation, and support…