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At two welfare offices in Salem, OR, evaluators randomly assigned Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) applicants eligible for welfare-to-work programs to either Valuing Individual Success and Increasing Opportunities Now (VISION) or Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS), the state's typical welfare-to-work program, between May 2002 and May 2004. The study randomly assigned 316 two-parent households during the two years. Only one parent in each two-parent family is included in the sample, though both could have received program services. A total of 1,504 participants from single-parent homes were also randomly assigned but are included in a separate study.
The program was studied from May 2002 through 2007. This study reports impacts for participants in two-parent households for three years after random assignment.
The Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation in ACF at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services funded the study, with support from the U.S. Department of Labor.
Participants were TANF-eligible, two-parent households. Across all members of two-parent families enrolled in Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA), half were White and non-Hispanic, 32 percent were Hispanic, and 12 percent were Black and non-Hispanic. On average, participants were 31 years old. More than half (62 percent) had at least a high school diploma or equivalent certification, and more than half (59 percent) were employed during the quarter when they enrolled in ERA. In the year before enrolling in ERA, most participants (76 percent) received the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and slightly less than half (42 percent) received TANF.
State TANF and a local community college
The Salem ERA program, called VISION, was developed for the study. It began operation in May 2002 as a collaboration between the local welfare agency and a community college. The program operated out of the local one-stop center.
The Salem VISION program provided job search assistance and post-employment services to TANF recipients. The program was run by the local welfare agency and a community college and operated out of a one-stop career center. Participation was typically mandatory and was enforced by sanctions. Job search assistance included job placement and workshops on job retention and career paths. Staff helped clients develop and regularly revisit a personal development plan to identify and prepare for a job that interested them. A case manager from the local welfare office could authorize supportive services. VISION staff reportedly devoted most of their time to preemployment services and helped clients gain access to public assistance. VISION also offered post-employment services that focused on promoting job retention and career advancement, including support in achieving the career goals set before employment. VISION intended to provide post-employment services regardless of continued TANF eligibility status but did not do so consistently.
TANF recipients assigned to the comparison group participated in the state's typical welfare-to-work program, JOBS, delivered by the local welfare office. Participation was typically mandatory. Case managers conducted intake assessments and authorized supportive services. Employment consultants delivered workshops on job search interviews and resume preparation. Participants enrolled in up to 45 days of job search and preparation workshops. Staff helped clients develop a personal development plan but rarely revisited it. The program ended when participants found work and were no longer eligible for TANF.
Participation in the intervention was mandatory for most of the sample and was enforced by sanctions.
Preemployment services were typically available for 45 days, but VISION staff could extend the time for clients with promising prospects.
Oregon TANF
The study took place in Salem, OR. Salem's unemployment rate was 8.6 percent at the start of the study. According to study authors, most jobs in Salem were either entry-level or in the service sector. Because of budgetary restrictions, Oregon discontinued emergency assistance and some other public assistance programs at the time the study was being conducted.
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