Vouchers are one strategy for delivering public services in a way that makes the consumer the central figure in deciding when and where to receive services. Vouchers also present a unique opportunity to expand the role of faith- and community-based organizations in the network of publicly funded...

To address challenges faced by hard-to-employ TANF clients, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, in partnership with the Nebraska Health and Human Services System, operated the Building Nebraska Families (BNF) program from 2002 to 2005. The initiative combined intensive home visitation...

Notes that in spring 1999, almost 60 percent of families left Iowa's TANF program voluntarily and most were able to remain off the rolls for at least a year. Eight to 12 months after they left, just over 60 percent of family heads were working, and many families still relied on Medicaid....

This report describes opportunities to rigorously test the effectiveness of employment initiatives for this population. The report addresses two key questions: (1) Which strategies would be most interesting to test and how could programs be designed to support rigorous evaluations of them? (2)...

Notes that the mix of families remaining on cash assistance has changed, with child-only cases—in which only children are receiving assistance—becoming a growing portion of New Jersey’s welfare caseload. These cases grew from 17 percent of the state’s caseload in 1995 to 33...

This brief profiles two programs, one statewide and one local, for analyzing, reporting, and using data to hold case managers and administrators accountable for increasing the work participation of TANF recipients. The selected strategies use data to keep staff informed about progress toward...

Highlights operational lessons from a Pennsylvania initiative that operated from 1998 through early 2001 and contributed to the state's current program of pre- and postemployment services for TANF recipients. Notes implementation challenges, including lower than expected enrollment, job...

This report provides information on the demographic and economic characteristics of SNAP households in fiscal year 2009. The average monthly number of participants reached a record high of 32.9 million. Nearly half of recipients were children, another 8 percent were over age 60, about 40 percent...

This four-page issue brief notes that government housing subsidies improve access to stable, affordable housing for low-income families. Current and former welfare families that receive these subsidies devote a smaller portion of their income to housing, face less housing instability, and live...