The latest round of proposed state and federal welfare reforms has major implications for state work force development systems. These systems will face new demands generated by the need to help welfare recipients find jobs before they reach the time limits on aid and the need for states to meet the new work participation rates for federal welfare…

A project created linkages in Service Delivery Area 12, Clermont and Warren Counties, Ohio, to improve services for welfare recipients. During the project, the original grant seed money of $22,000 grew to more than $220,000 in grants for cooperative programs. In addition, integral, completed linkage treaties were forged between various agencies…

This document records the oral and written testimony of persons who testified before or prepared reports for a Congressional hearing on the usefulness of the JOBS (Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Program). Witnesses included persons who had participated in the programs as well as state and local administrators of JOBS programs, national…

The Richland County (Ohio) Welfare Coordination Project had three main goals: (1) to examine the roles, functions, and allowable service activities of each of four agencies involved in adult education, training, and job placement efforts; (2) to develop a systematic approach to the selection of service providers for clients; and (3) to develop…

A study examined major performance standards issues in the context of employment and training programs targeted toward the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) population. Telephone interviews were conducted with representatives from Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) programs and departments of public welfare in nine states. A…

A significant number of current and former Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) recipients have various barriers to finding and maintaining employment. Among the most common barriers are physical and mental health problems, domestic violence, low skill levels, lack of adequate or affordable housing, and limited proficiency in English.…

The Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) program, a component of the 1988 Family Support Act, emphasizes education and occupational training for welfare recipients, but it has not provided sufficient corrective measures to promote work among recipients of Aid for Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). The most serious deficiency of JOBS is…

The Toledo Area Welfare Coordination Task Force, coordinated by the Private Industry Council and funded by the Job Training Partnership Act, brought together more than 20 community leaders representing private and public organizations that have a role to play in implementing the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS) program in Lucas and Wood…

The ways states are improving their literacy services for adults with disabilities were examined through a national survey conducted by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) and National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) and case studies of three states: Oklahoma, Illinois, and Connecticut. The OVAE/NIFL…

It is becoming increasingly clear that "work first" solutions to welfare reform such as Wisconsin Works (W-2) are problematic for families with a disabled parent or child. Wisconsin's existing policies are especially ill-tailored to meet the special needs of the following broad categories of low-income families: (1) W-2 families that…

A committee examined the number, type, and quality of work and training opportunities available for heads of households under Maine's Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) Program and suggested ways to improve them. Comprised of such representatives of the private and public sectors as employers, AFDC recipients, welfare advocates,…

The General Accounting Office (GAO) examined progress in meeting work-focused goals of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. The following issues were considered: (1) states' progress in implementing TANF; (2) the status of families who have left welfare; (3) the characteristics of adults currently receiving TANF; (4) states'…

The practices and perceptions of Wisconsin employers regarding welfare recipients were examined. First, 500 employers outside the Milwaukee metropolitan area were interviewed by telephone. Those data were merged with data from a survey of Milwaukee-area employers, resulting in a statewide sample of about 1,250 Wisconsin employers (25%, 35%, and…