In response to higher effective work participation rates that followed the reauthorization of the TANF program in 2005, states added new policies and programs that divert eligible families from the TANF system. This report describes states’ policies on and experiences with diversion....

Profiles the efforts of four states—FL, OR, TN, and UT—to address welfare recipients' mental health conditions, which are often barriers to employment. Notes that these conditions, which occur at substantially higher rates in welfare recipients than in the general population, can...

Examines welfare offices' use of "intermediaries"--private or public organizations that act as brokers between the welfare system and employers--noting that a broad range of organizations act as intermediaries, including nonprofit and for-profit organizations, public sector agencies, and...

Assessment is often the first step in helping TANF recipients living with a disability find and maintain employment. This brief describes five different approaches to assessment: disability screening, psychosocial assessments, clinical and psychological assessments, functional needs assessments,...

Describes the administrative framework and key components of a statewide transitional employment program for hard-to-employ TANF recipients nearing the time limit. Notes that program success requires program administrators and staff to think “outside the box†and concludes that clients...

Pathways is a set of protocols and other tools to help welfare office staff support their clients in the transition to employment. It was launched in 1995 by Project Match and is based on the philosophy of "universal engagement" central to most TANF reauthorization proposals. This brief reviews...

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...

Federal law permits American Indian tribes to operate TANF programs for their members, an option that entails benefits as well as risks and costs. This reports discusses the experiences of 10 tribes and examines the benefits, as well as challenges and lessons, from the experience. It notes that...

This brief profiles three work experience programs that engage nearly all work-ready TANF recipients in unpaid work activities, either alone or in conjunction with education and training. Unpaid work experience is designed to mirror regular employment in the paid labor market. TANF recipients...

Examines the extent to which former welfare recipients who find jobs are likely to have monetary eligibility for Unemployment Insurance, how sensitive these rates are to varying eligibility rules, and the extent to which those who lose jobs file UI claims. Finds that potential monetary...