Earnings

Earnings

Family Rewards had the largest effects on long-term annual earnings (an average of $6,342 per year). The Family Rewards program provided cash incentives to families with low income for completing activities related to children’s education, family health, and parents’ work and education, with the goal of reducing immediate hardship and long-term poverty.

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

Prenatal and Infancy Home Visiting by Nurses had the largest effects on long-term benefit receipt (decreasing the amount of public benefits received by $2,278 per year). Prenatal and Infancy Home Visiting by Nurses provided home visits intended to promote family economic self-sufficiency by improving maternal life-course outcomes. The program focused on increasing employment, decreasing public benefit usage, and improving family planning.

Effects on long-term benefit receipt

$2,278

Decrease long-term benefit receipt

Education and training

Education and training

Good Transitions had the largest effects on education and training (increasing the attainment of a degree or credential by an average of 15 percentage points). Good Transitions served noncustodial parents with low income by providing subsidized employment combined with case management and training to help them connect to stable employment.

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.

Post-Release Intensive Case Management (ICM) for Reentering Women

Through ICM, case managers worked with participants who were incarcerated to determine their needs and goals and to establish reentry plans for support after release. After participants’ release from prison, case managers connected them to mental and physical health treatment, employment, education, and housing services. Participants had access to 24-hour case management and no limits on the duration of participation. Mental and physical health treatment services included mental health, substance abuse, and medical and dental treatment.