Chicago ERA matched participants with a career and income advisor (CIA) who counseled them about how to advance in their current jobs and apply for higher-paying jobs. Participants could receive other education and training services and financial incentives for maintaining contact with their case manager to verify their work hours. A30-hour work requirement was part of their TANF participation, and failure to work at this level could result in a sanction of their TANF benefits. The program served participants for up to two years, even if they left TANF. Services were provided to recipients of TANF who had worked 30 hours or more per week for at least 6 consecutive months, resided in Cook County, were at least age 18, were single parents, and could speak English or Spanish. Chicago ERA was implemented in Chicago, IL. The evaluation of Chicago ERA was part of a larger study of post-employment services demonstration sites within the ERA evaluation, which also studied ERA programs implemented in Riverside, CA; South Carolina; and Texas.
Chicago ERA provided career counseling and related services to working, single parents with low incomes who received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), with the goal of increasing their earnings.