This report examines the operation and outcomes of Illinois' welfare programs in fiscal year 1995. The Illinois Department of Public Aid's new emphasis on providing incentives/assistance to move welfare recipients from welfare to work is explained. Next, the following programs are discussed: Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) and Job…

Some welfare experts and policymakers advocate providing education and training to prepare welfare recipients for jobs that will eventually help them leave poverty (the "work first" approach), whereas others advocate placing welfare recipients in jobs immediately whenever possible. Although the Personal Responsibility and Work…

This document identifies the costs of teen pregnancy in terms of high dropout rates, long-term educational decrements, the increased risks of the children of teen parents, loss of human capital, and increased welfare costs. Prevention and intervention and the features of operationally successful program models are included under the topic of…

In an effort to provide positive program and procedural alternatives for personnel working in educational and training programs for low-income women, the book presents the current situation of minority female low-income heads of household, especially the Chicana, and offers solutions and recommendations regarding the education and training of such…

This document is intended to provide business leaders, policymakers, and others with information about the operation and value of six work support programs designed to help low-income parents obtain the assistance needed to enter a job, retain employment, and better provide for their families' needs. The six programs profiled are as follows: the…

The effectiveness of employment and training (E&T) programs in improving labor market outcomes can be assessed by measuring the impact on the future success of participants. The program with the greatest success in reducing dropout rates among at-risk youth is the Quantum Opportunities Project. Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA)…

The aim of the research review reported here was to draw together empirical findings that illuminate the factors affecting Work Incentive Program (WIN) results and contribute to discussion of future welfare, work-training, and employment policies. (WIN, authorized in 1967, has sought to put people on Aid to Dependent Children (AFDC) to work…

Evidence from the past 4 years confirms that private sector jobs are the best and first resort for welfare recipients seeking to enter the workforce and that the private sector can well absorb the entry of these new workers. The model of wage-based transitional employment may be a more effective means of helping hard-to-employ welfare recipients…

This document, which is designed to help state administrators and legislators formulate policies enhancing family economic security, summarizes research findings regarding barriers to economic self-sufficiency and policies used by various states to improve poor family's available work opportunities and economic security. Discussed in the…

This report examines effects of the Self-Sufficiency Project (SSP) for three age groups of children (younger cohort aged 3-5, middle cohort aged 6-11, and older cohort aged 12-18) at the 36-month interview. A companion report on effects of the SSP on adults is available separately. Chapter 1 describes the SSP incentive, project design, and SSP…

The outcomes and impacts of adult literacy education in the United States were examined through a qualitative assessment of the pertinent research conducted since the late 1960s. A comprehensive literature search identified approximately 115 outcomes and impacts studies. Of the 68 studies found to have an outcomes component, the 23 most credible…

Staff from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the Jefferson County, Alabama, Department of Human Resources (DHS) worked together to create a "pipeline to employment" at UAB for welfare recipients by combining on-the-job training with educational opportunities. Welfare recipients referred to UAB by the Jefferson County DHS…

The Road to Success (RtS) program was designed to introduce hard-to-employ adults with learning disabilities and other cognitive barriers to ways of learning that are will enable them to learn the skills and knowledge they will need as employees and in their everyday lives. Originally developed to serve welfare recipients in Kansas, RtS was…

Idaho's displaced homemaker program exists to reduce the incidence of poverty among the 59,498 displaced homemakers (according to the 1990 census) and 22,147 single mothers in the state. Of those who participated in Idaho's displaced homemaker programs in fiscal year 1998 (FY1998), 924 (33%) earned less than $5,000 annually, and two-thirds had…

This report presents findings from a study of self-service systems in eight One-Stop Career Centers that were identified as being particularly efficacious or noteworthy for completeness of resources, ease of use, or outreach to special populations. Chapter I describes the study design. Chapter II describes physical facilities. It focuses on the…