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In more than 65 rural counties across Nebraska, eligible individuals (active or sanctioned TANF recipients identified by case managers as being hard to employ because of skill deficiencies or low personal functioning) were randomly assigned to the intervention group or the comparison group. The individual was the unit of assignment and the unit of analysis.
The program served clients from March 2002 through June 2004.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ACF funded the study.
On average, sample members were 28 years old, and 93 percent were female. Three-quarters were White and non-Hispanic, 13 percent were Hispanic, and 12 percent belonged to another race. Nearly one-third of sample members did not have a high school diploma or GED, and 27 percent had more than a high school diploma or GED. Sixteen percent were working for pay at the time of baseline, and 92 percent reported earnings less than $10,000 in the year before baseline. Ninety-seven percent of sample members had ever received TANF or Aid to Families with Dependent Children, and 88 percent were receiving it at the time of baseline. Fifty-three percent were living in single-adult households, and 60 percent lived in a household in which the youngest child was younger than 3.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cooperative Extension and the Nebraska Health and Human Services System
Building Nebraska Families is a modified version of the Food Stamp Nutritional Educational Program, which was also run by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Cooperative Extension. Building Nebraska Families was designed to better address the needs of rural TANF recipients, who required more life skills education.
Intervention group members received weekly or biweekly home visits during which master’s-level educators delivered curricula designed to improve life skills and family management practices and provided informal counseling and support in accessing needed services and resources. Once they enrolled, members of the intervention group were required to participate and could be sanctioned if they did not.
Comparison group members could not enroll in Building Nebraska Families but could receive all other available services.
Individuals voluntarily enrolled in the Building Nebraska Families program; however, once enrolled, individuals were required to participate in the Building Nebraska Families program or face sanctions.
Enrollment lasted an average of eight months. Support was available to clients for up to six months after they found employment.
Federal TANF funding.
The program took place in more than 65 rural counties in Nebraska. Each of the 11 educators served multiple counties.
Physical health, Mental health, Housing, Family structure, Barriers to work