Assesses the effects of employment on family well-being for current and former TANF recipients in Iowa who gained employment. Finds that when parents were employed, they reported aggregate improvements in family income, standard of living, parental self-esteem, parenting skills, and how their...

Looks at 16 families who left TANF in spring 1999 and reported $500 or less in family income to see how they make ends meet. Focuses on sources of income and expenses, strategies for making ends meet, and family well-being, noting that most families had earnings from employment, but low pay,...

Examines Nebraska's reorganized service delivery system, which provides assessment-focused case management to help clients become self-sufficient, finding that case managers need additional tools and support to provide services in a timely and consistent way, connect clients with individualized...

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...

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...

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...

Examines welfare reform in Virginia, which implemented reforms early and focused on building attachment to jobs and the economy, noting that many welfare workers believed work incentives were critical to program success and that, despite new strategies to help workers do their jobs differently,...

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...