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....

Notes that families leaving welfare in spring 1999 were doing slightly better financially two years after leaving than they had been one year earlier, but more than half still had income around the poverty line. In addition, some families were experiencing hardships such as hunger and housing...

Based on a one-year follow-up survey with a representative sample of over 400 single-mother TANF clients, the report examines how various obstacles to employment constrained clients’ employability and influenced their experiences with welfare-to-work activities and supportive services. Also...

A burgeoning literature suggests that marriage may have a wide range of benefits, including improvements in individuals' economic well-being and mental and physical health, as well as the well-being of their children. The authors have synthesized recent literature from rigorous research studies...

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...

Finds that most WtW grantees, except recently funded ones, are now delivering services, but restrictive eligibility rules still in effect in late 1999 continue to impede enrollment. Despite low enrollment, grantees have moved expeditiously to place WtW participants in work activities. To date,...

The use of private organizations to perform social service functions has increased greatly in the past few years, although little is known about the privatization of welfare services. This report reviews the literature to set the stage for a study looking at the experiences of six agencies that...

Examines whether differences between respondents and nonrespondents in a survey of Iowa families that left TANF resulted in findings that overstated the economic well-being of these families. Finds that nonrespondents were less likely to have health insurance and more likely to have...

This report on program implementation notes that most of the programs studied offer much more than "just say no." In addition to delivering a clear and consistent message of abstinence until marriage, programs focus on building self-esteem, developing values, formulating goals, making decisions,...