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This study is a randomized controlled trial. To be eligible for random assignment, people had to be (1) employed and (2) ineligible for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in the current month but eligible in the previous month. The service provider and the evaluator limited the number of people randomly assigned to a specific PASS provider to no more than 20 per month per full-time case manager, and random assignment ratios were determined by case manager staffing levels for each provider. If too many cases were available for random assignment, then the excess cases were excluded from the study. This study includes 456 research sample members who were in two-parent families (another study examines effects for single parent families). Only one member of each family is included in the sample. If both parents were eligible for the program, program staff selected one to participate in the study before random assignment but both could be eligible to receive services.
Random assignment began in July 2002 and ended in June 2003. The follow-up period lasted four years.
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.
The Riverside PASS site studied 456 two-parent families who left TANF because of increased earnings. 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 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, and slightly less than half (42 percent) received TANF.
Riverside PASS services were delivered by four community-based organizations, one community college, and the county TANF agency.
The Riverside County Department of Public Social Services developed PASS in 2001.
PASS aimed to improve employment retention and career advancement among employed people who had recently left TANF. Clients randomly assigned to the intervention group were contacted by their local PASS service providers, which provided post-employment services and supportive service payments based on clients' needs and helped clients keep their jobs and obtain better jobs. Available services included case management, counseling and mentoring, reemployment activities (such as assistance with job search and resume preparation), workshops on credit and money management, referrals to training and education opportunities, supportive services (such as child care, transportation, books, equipment), and referrals to social services programs.
Members randomly assigned to the comparison group were not eligible for PASS but were eligible for other services and supports available in the community (including less intensive post-employment services).
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PASS provided services for up to 12 months.
California TANF program
Riverside County, CA.
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