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Project Description

The mode of operation of welfare offices has changed from an “eligibility/compliance” culture to one which must integrate welfare with earnings and deal with cases more individually rather than generically.

Project duration: Oct 1997 - Sep 2001

Sites studied include 11 local welfare agencies in 4 states: 3 local welfare agencies each in Georgia, Michigan and Texas; 2 local welfare agencies in New York

Sample Characteristics and Sites Studied

11 local welfare agencies in 4 states: Georgia, Michigan, New York, Texas

Recent Findings in Brief

10/01/01: Front-Line Management and Practice Study: Changing Welfare Offices

Interim Descriptive/Analytical Findings:

States have dramatically changed their policies and practices for handling welfare applications. Many welfare offices have adopted "work first" policies that require recipients to engage in job search or other work-related activities while they apply for cash assistance, and some offices have initiated policies that try to divert applicants from monthly cash assistance. However, fewer offices have created effective mechanisms for informing diverted applicants and recipients leaving welfare about the availability of food stamps, Medicaid, and other benefits. Welfare offices in many states have been haphazard in linking clients to pregnancy prevention and other family formation services, particularly where state policy gives them little or no support. In addition, they have only recently made job retention and advancement a high priority. Improving the performance of welfare offices would be facilitated by removing conflicting requirements across programs as well as by improving the training of workers and coordination across human services agencies.

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