Notes substantial economic progress for most clients over time, although the pace of progress has slowed considerably. The majority of welfare recipients find jobs, although many find it difficult to maintain sustained employment. Some groups continue to struggle financially, particularly those...

When TANF was created in 1996, the program imposed new requirements on states to compel welfare recipients to work and place time limits on their benefits. It also offered states substantial flexibility in meeting these federal requirements. As we enter TANF's second decade, it is useful to...

Examines a statewide program that uses performance-based contracting to provide pre- and postemployment services to TANF recipients in Pennsylvania, finding that referrals to the program have been low where caseloads have dropped precipitously and that performance-based contracting has...

Welfare reform in Iowa succeeded in getting welfare recipients into training and then into jobs. However, the reforms did not always succeed in raising family income and may have reduced it for some families. Furthermore, researchers noted negative impacts on some measures of family and child...

This report describes the status of over 1,000 Virginia families 18 months after their TANF cases closed because of a time limit. It finds that nearly all parents worked after leaving TANF, with average hours, hourly wages, and total earnings increasing over time. Families also decreased their...

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....

Shows that welfare reform increased employment and earnings during the first three and a half years, and that the employment increase occurred because of reform policies allowing people to work while receiving cash assistance. However, there is no evidence that reforms reduced participation in...

Examines challenges facing low-income parents, employers, and service providers in three high-poverty areas: Camden City, Cumberland County, and Newark. Finds that many low-income parents do not make use of tax credits, child care subsidies, and job placement services for which they are...