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Subgroups
This study was a randomized controlled trial. The Minority Female Single Parent (MFSP) evaluation took place in four community-based organizations across the United States. This review focuses on the program operated by WOW. Between November 1984 and December 1987, the study randomly assigned low-income, minority single mothers to the intervention condition—in which evaluators offered study members the opportunity to participate in the program—or to the comparison group—in which study members were ineligible to participate in the MFSP but could seek other training programs or support services. Participants did not need to be collecting welfare (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) payments in order to be eligible. The WOW randomized sample included 1,415 participants, the 12-month follow-up analysis sample included 1,324 participants, and the 30-month follow-up analysis sample included 1,225 participants. The timing of the surveys is with respect to sample members’ application to receive services. Information on the time between application and random assignment or service receipt is not available.
Enrollment occurred between 1982 and 1987. The program received funding through 1988.
The Rockefeller Foundation supported the evaluation.
Participants enrolled in the study were single-parent, female minorities. On average, intervention-group respondents to the 30-month survey were 28 years old at baseline; about 96 percent were African American, and 4 percent were Hispanic. Fewer than half of these participants had received a high school diploma (40 percent), about 11 percent had a GED, and 71 percent of participants reported receiving public assistance in the year before the baseline survey.
Wider Opportunities for Women
WOW had a history as a policy advocate for women in the workplace, equal pay for women, and greater opportunities for women in nontraditional occupations. But the specific program examined in this review was developed for this study.
The MSFP program implemented by WOW emphasized general employability preparation rather than training for specific occupations, although it aimed to introduce women to nontraditional careers. For participants with strong academic skills, WOW provided opportunities to participate in general technical courses that would lead to nontraditional, high-paying occupations. The program included selective placement into training courses based primarily on standardized testing. Participants who scored at the sixth- or seventh-grade level enrolled in an 11-week course focused on basic educational skills, employability development, and a 3-week period of unpaid work. Participants who scored at the eighth-grade level or above enrolled in a 22-week course that covered basic elements of electromechanics as well as the employability topics that were covered in the 11-week course. Counselors helped clients set employment and training goals and overcome life crises. The program helped find and pay for child care.
Comparison group participants were able to obtain services available in the community but did not receive specific referrals or support from WOW for 30 months.
None.
The duration of service receipt varied depending on needs; as of the 12-month follow-up, 10 percent of participants were still receiving the MFSP services.
The Rockefeller Foundation; matching funds from other sources
The study took place at WOW, a community-based organization located in Washington, DC.
Mental health, Family formation, Job characteristics