Grounded in person-environment fit theory, this study examined whether low-income mothers' preferences for education moderated the effects of employment- and education-focused welfare programs on children's positive and problem behaviors. The sample included 1,365 families with children between ages 3 and 5 years at study entry. Results 5 years…

The Jobs-Plus Community Revitalization Initiative for Public Housing Families was developed in the late 1990s in response to the growing concentration of joblessness, underemployment, welfare receipt, and poverty in some of the nation's most economically deprived communities: public housing developments and their surrounding neighborhoods. In many…

This report summarizes the final impact results for the national Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) project. This project tested, using a random assignment design, the effectiveness of numerous programs intended to promote steady work and career advancement. All the programs targeted current and former welfare recipients and other low-wage…

Research completed since the 1980s has yielded substantial knowledge about how to help welfare recipients and other low-income individuals prepare for and find jobs. Many participants in these successful job preparation and placement programs, however, ended up in unstable, low-paying jobs, and little was known about how to effectively help them…

This report focuses on the seven original Youth Transition Demonstration (YTD) projects selected for funding in 2003. Three of the original seven projects were selected for a national random assignment evaluation in 2005; however, this report only focuses on program operations prior to joining the random assignment evaluation for the three…

The Employment Training Panel consists of seven representatives of business and labor who were appointed by the Governor of California and the state's legislature to administer funds transferred from the state unemployment insurance fund for job training. The panel is authorized to contract with employers and schools to conduct training that puts…

As part of a review of California's strategy for helping recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) find jobs through the Work Incentive Program (WIN), eight demonstration programs were analyzed. There were four major findings. First, the Department of Social Services (DSS), which targets AFDC recipients with recent job…

An analysis of California's Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) work-to-welfare program did not find achievement test score improvement as a result of mandatory adult education participation. This reanalysis of GAIN impact with 581 enrollees and 500 controls finds a more positive overall impact and confirms test score improvements in one…

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) with block grants to states, called Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Consistent with TANF's philosophy and goals, Los Angeles Jobs-First GAIN (Greater Avenues for Independence) emphasized job search…

From July 1985 through September 1987, the County of San Diego, California, operated the Saturation Work Initiative Model (SWIM) as a demonstration project. The demonstration tested the feasibility and effectiveness of requiring ongoing participation in employment-related activities by a high proportion of persons on welfare. SWIM provided job…

This study examined the role of subcontractors and consultants in California's Employment Training Panel (ETP) program. Methods included interviews, focus groups, a phone survey, and a survey of projects without subcontractors. Results indicated that the market in which administrative and training consultants sell their services to employers is…

A large-scale evaluation was conducted of Jobs-First GAIN, a strongly employment-focused mandatory welfare-to-work program. Its main features were an unusually intensive program orientation; high quality job clubs; job development activities; strong encouragement to take entry-level jobs and combine work and welfare in the short-term; and…

Re-employment experiences were analyzed for dislocated workers who used the services of the Employment Service (ES) during the 1980s under the Economic Dislocation and Worker Adjustment Assistance Act (EDWAA). Data came from administrative records in three states--Pennsylvania, California, and Missouri--noteworthy for differences in their…

This technical report details the employment problems of inner-city youth and describes some programs that have successfully met these problems. The first of its three parts describes inner-city youth and enumerates the major employment barriers facing them. (It was found that while inner-city youth tend to be disadvantaged, a subgroup of them…

Several trends have come together to intensify interest in how public libraries might best support the interests and needs of youth in their communities. This study reports on findings from the Public Libraries as Partners in Youth Development (PLPYD) Initiative, a four-year, nine-site initiative funded by the Wallace Foundation to develop…