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Project Description

The Milwaukee W-2 Applicant Study is a three-wave panel study that is examining the experiences of TANF applicant families in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. Structured interviews were conducted with applicants who sought assistance for their families from Wisconsin's TANF program (Wisconsin Works or W-2) between March and August of 1999. The three survey interviews were similar in content. Questions covered a variety of domains including employment and earnings, government program participation, parent and child well being, economic hardships, and childcare.

The first two waves of survey data were linked to administrative data from three state databases:
1. CARES (Client Assistance for Re-employment and Economic Support) - This database is a source of information about public assistance benefits (e.g., TANF, food stamps, Medicaid and childcare assistance) provided to Wisconsin families.
2. Unemployment Insurance Wage Reports - This database is a source of information about quarterly earnings from covered employment.
3. WiSACWIS (Wisconsin Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System)- This database is a source of information about child welfare services involvement, including child abuse, neglect investigations and out-of-home care placements.

The third wave of data is currently being analyzed and funding has been received for an additional wave of administrative data analysis that will cover the period of June 2001 - June 2003.

Unlike other studies that have examined the experiences of current or former TANF participants, this study is based on a sample of TANF applicants. Thus, although the study is not an experiment, it is possible to compare the outcomes of TANF participant families to those of non-participant families while controlling for possible differences between the two groups.

Project duration: Mar 1999 - Oct 2003

Sites studied include WI

Sample Characteristics and Sites Studied

Survey data was collected from a sample consisting of applicants who sought assistance from the state's TANF program, Wisconsin Works or W-2, between March and August of 1999.

Wave I: n = 1,082;
Wave II: n = 856;
Wave III: n = 838;All three waves: n=711.

Recent Findings in Brief

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