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This study was a randomized controlled trial in which evaluators randomly assigned welfare applicants within participating counties to the Project Independence intervention condition or the comparison condition. Welfare applicants were eligible for the study if they were applying (or reapplying) for AFDC welfare benefits and were potentially subject to the participation mandate (meaning that they did not have a child younger than 3, were younger than 60, were working fewer than 30 hours per week, were not in the second or third trimester of pregnancy, and were not permanently ill or incapacitated).
The study measured impacts through Quarter 5 after random assignment (about 15 months after random assignment).
The study was conducted under a contract with Florida's State Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services, with support from the Ford Foundation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The research sample consisted of single parents, most of whom were women, who were applicants or recipients of AFDC and had at least one child age 3 or older when the study began. The sample was 35 percent White, 38 percent Black, and 22 percent Hispanic, with 1 percent identified as other and 5 percent identified as missing. More than three-quarters (76 percent) spoke English as a primary language. On average, participants were 32 years old when the study began. Thirty-nine percent of applicants were first-time applicants of AFDC. Fifty-two percent had obtained a high school diploma or GED at the time of random assignment.
Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services
Project Independence began in 1987 and officially became part of Florida's Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training program after the federal Family Support Act of 1988 was signed into law.
Eligible AFDC applicants and recipients attended an orientation where they were assigned to one of two service tracks depending on their past educational and work histories. In the first service track, participants who had been deemed job ready—those who had completed at least 10th grade or worked for at least 12 of the past 36 months—conducted a two-week job search that included contacting at least 12 employers. Those who were unable to find employment through the job search were assigned to a two- to three-week job club in which staff provided guidance on best practices in finding a job. This included help developing resumes and interview skills. If the participant was still unable to obtain a job, a case manager conducted a formal assessment of the participant's employment goals and educational needs, helped the participant develop an employability plan, and referred the participant to additional education or training activities available in the community. In the second service track, participants who had been deemed not job ready worked with a case manager who conducted the formal assessment, helped develop an employability plan, and referred the participant to basic education or training programs consistent with the plan. Participants had to fulfill participation requirements or risked losing part or all of their AFDC grants for noncompliance. All participants were provided with or were referred to support services as needed, including child care, tuition assistance, transportation, tools, and uniforms. Financial support for child care ended in January 1991 because of budget cuts, at which time participants were excused from employment and training requirements if child care services were unavailable.
In the comparison condition, AFDC recipients continued to receive benefits but did not have access to the Project Independence program and were not subject to the participation mandates that could lead to welfare benefits sanctions for two years. They were provided with a list of employment and training services available in the community and were potentially eligible for subsidized child care and tuition assistance.
Study participants were required to participate in Project Independence. Those who did not participate could have their AFDC grant reduced.
Though not explicitly mentioned, the authors suggested that clients could receive Project Independence services through the full follow-up period (two years).
Federal funding; state of Florida funding
The study took place in nine counties in Florida that were randomly selected from the state's counties with the largest caseloads of welfare receipt. These counties included Bay, Broward, Dade, Duval, Hillsborough, Lee, Orange, Pinellas, and Volusia. Participants entered the research sample when they applied (or reapplied) for Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) benefits at the local public assistance unit. Orientation and initial assessments occurred at Project Independence offices. Twenty-six Project Independence units operated across the nine counties participating in this study. These units were typically set within AFDC units, Food Stamp units, or Medicaid Eligibility units.
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