This project examines the reasons why clients are currently leaving the state’s welfare rolls, what happens to them when they leave, and how this phenomenon relates to the policies and provisions of welfare reform. It uses administrative data from multiple systems to study two cohorts: those leaving in the last calendar quarter of 1996 and those leaving in the first calendar quarter of 1998. In addition, it will survey a sample of 800 cases from cohort two, stratified by sanctioned leavers vs. other leavers. Arizona has waivers which allow for 24 months of transitional child care and Medicaid; and this project addresses questions of whether people are taking advantage of these benefits, and why or why not. Arizona has also recently implemented progressive sanctioning, ending in full-family sanctions. This project will assess whether these sanctions are succeeding in motivating participation or employment.
Notes
Definition of leavers: 1 month closures regardless of reason.
800 TANF cash assistance leavers (no UP or Tribal TANF).
Cohort 1: Q4 1996; tracked through 1997 with administrative data
Cohort 2: Q1 1998; exiters after Empower Redesign policies such as automatic progressive sanctioning; tracked with administrative data and random sample survey of 400 sanctioned closures and 400 “other reason” closures.
