Earnings

Earnings

Jobs-First Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) Program had the largest effects on long-term annual earnings (an average of $2,573 per year). Jobs-First GAIN emphasized a rapid employment strategy to help recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) improve their earnings and employment outcomes. 

Employment

Employment

Jobs-First Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) Program had the largest effects on long-term employment (an average of 6 percentage points). Jobs-First GAIN emphasized a rapid employment strategy to help recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) improve their earnings and employment outcomes. 

Public benefit receipt

Public benefit receipt

Delaware's A Better Chance (ABC) Welfare Reform Program had the largest effects on long-term benefit receipt (decreasing the amount of public benefits received by $875 per year). ABC aimed to increase earnings for recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) through personal responsibility requirements, work provisions, and time limits on benefit receipt.

Effects on long-term benefit receipt

$875

Decrease long-term benefit receipt

Education and training

Education and training

Atlanta Human Capital Development (HCD) Program had the largest effects on education and training (increasing the attainment of a degree or credential by an average of 8 percentage points). To help participants secure jobs that could lead to economic self-sufficiency, Atlanta’s HCD program focused on providing education and training to single parents who were Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) recipients.

Building Health and Wealth Network – Full Intervention (as compared with Building Health and Wealth Network – Partial Intervention)

The Building Health and Wealth Network – Full Intervention used a 28-week curriculum that included a weekly 4-hour peer support group and 3-hour financial empowerment class. The peer support group, which was unique to the Full Intervention, used a trauma-informed approach to guide participants toward a more financially stable foundation. Financial empowerment classes covered topics such as saving for education, housing, entrepreneurial activities, retirement, improving credit, and reducing debt.

Building Health and Wealth Network – Full Intervention

The Building Health and Wealth Network – Full Intervention used a 28-week curriculum that included a weekly 4-hour peer support group and 3-hour financial empowerment class. The peer support group used a trauma-informed approach to guide participants toward a more financially stable foundation. Financial empowerment classes covered topics such as saving for education, housing, entrepreneurial activities, retirement, improving credit, and reducing debt.

Building Health and Wealth Network – Partial Intervention

The Building Health and Wealth Network – Partial Intervention used a 28-week curriculum that included weekly 3-hour financial empowerment classes. Topics covered in the classes included saving for education, housing, entrepreneurial activities, retirement, improving credit, and reducing debt. The program also helped participants open a credit union savings account, and matched any contributions the participant made during the program.

Michigan Goal Progress Success (MI-GPS)

Intervention (standard name)

MI-GPS participants worked with a TANF-employed career development facilitator or coach to set and support progress toward their employment-related goals. Once participants set goals, the coaches worked with participants to identify and complete small activities to advance their goals. The coaches let participants have ownership of their goal-setting process and activities. Coaches typically encouraged participants to develop incremental goals that they could accomplish in three to six months. People could only receive MI-GPS services while they received TANF benefits.

Next Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies Project

Submitted by swissel on

To further build the evidence around effective strategies for helping individuals with low incomes find and sustain employment, OPRE contracted with Mathematica to conduct the Next Generation of Enhanced Employment Strategies (NextGen) Project. This project will identify and test innovative, promising employment interventions designed to help individuals facing complex challenges secure a pathway toward economic independence. These challenges may be physical and mental health conditions, substance misuse, a criminal history, or limited work skills and experience.

Intensive Case Management (ICM) for Women with Substance Dependence Receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

ICM provided participants with case managers who identified barriers to entry into substance use disorder treatment, such as childcare, transportation, and housing problems, and addressed those barriers. While participants were in treatment, case managers met with them weekly and coordinated with treatment facility staff to provide other needed services. Participants received vouchers for items such as children's toys or cosmetics as an incentive to participate in treatment. Participants received case management services for 24 months.