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Project Description

New Mexico Works is New Mexico’s state implementation of the TANF program. The purpose of the New Mexico Works (NMW) program is to improve the quality of life for parents and children by increasing family income, assisting parents to develop the discipline necessary for self-sufficiency and to improve their self-esteem. The further purpose of the program is to increase family income through family employment and child support and by viewing financial assistance as a support service to enable and assist parents to participate in employment.
The program has a 60-month life time limit on cash assistance receipt. There is also a 60-day work requirement if not caring for a young child.

Project duration: Jul 1999 - May 2003

Sites studied include New Mexico - statewide

Sample Characteristics and Sites Studied

1. A cohort of 33,000 families who received TANF any time between July 1998 — June 1999 were tracked using administrative data.
2. 2,500 randomly selected families from the above sample were selected for telephone follow-up surveys.
3.Several additional samples were selected for special studies, including long-term TANF recipients and time-limited welfare leavers.

Recent Findings in Brief

05/01/03: New Mexico TANF Longitudinal Study: Survey of Long-Term Welfare Recipients for the Barrier and Safety Net Study

Interim Descriptive/Analytical Findings:

• Long term welfare recipients have a number of potential assets for employment including having worked at some time in the last year; having worked at least half the time since turning 18; and/or having obtained a high school diploma or GED. 31% had worked in the last 7 months and 33% were currently working.
• Long-term welfare recipients have a number of personal employment liabilities including mental health and physical health and learning disability problems or family members with one of these problems.
• Less prevalent employment liability problems included being a victim of domestic violence, having a criminal record, or problems with English. These were not significantly related to employment status.
• Long-term recipients have a number of logistical or situational employment barriers including having preschool children, 3 or more children, childcare, transportation, housing, or neighborhood safety issues.
• Physical or mental health problems were the most important liabilities in terms of current employment and recent work history.
• Barriers that were situational in nature were not highly related to current employment status except for transportation.
• Respondents who had physical health problems were also more likely to have mental health problems and learning disabilities.
• Older respondents, whites, and divorced/separated Respondents were the most likely to have a chronic health condition or poor health; be limited in their daily activities; or report a health barrier to employment or job training.
• Types of health problems varied by age, and ethnicity.
• Health problems were the most common problem cited by unemployed workers for not working.
• 22% had a MH problem that prevented them from working or attending school in the past year.
• Education deficits played a major role in job skills, occupation, earnings, job advancement potential, and employer benefits.
• 52% of the female respondents have experienced physical abuse at some time in their lives.
• Whites were more likely than Hispanics and those formerly married were most likely to be victims of domestic violence or threats.
• Fifty nine percent of respondents had been romantically involved with the fathers of their youngest child at time of birth. Only 16% were involved at the time of survey.

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