Assets for Independence Act Evaluation

General Information

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Evaluator(s) Abt Associates, Inc.
Investigator(s) Gregory Mills (Abt Associates, Inc.)
 
Domain Income Security/TANF
Status Operational with Findings
Duration Oct 2000 - Sep 2004
Type Research and/or Program Evaluation
Program/Policy Description The Assets for Independence Act (AFIA) provides federal funds for the operation of individual development account (IDA) programs at the state and local levels, subject to requirements regarding who can participate and how the accounts will be financed and structured. The premise of the Act is that the offer of matching funds and the provision of program support services will promote savings, enable participants to purchase homes, start businesses and advance their education and thus improve their lives. The primary question that the AFIA evaluation must address can be stated as follows:
Has the Assets for Independence Act led to programs that achieved their intended results in a cost-effective manner?
From this question, the following questions arise:
1. Were programs implemented as intended under the Act?
2. Did the participants improve their lives in expected ways as a result of the program?
3. Are the programs cost-effective?
Notes No notes reported.
 
Last Updated 10/22/04
Type of Summary Unreviewed
Contact(s) Gregory Mills (not reported)
Abt Associates, Inc.
55 Wheeler Street
(T) (617) 349-2823
(F) (617)-492-5219
Submitter(s) Research Forum Staff (info@researchforum.org)
National Center for Children In Poverty
215 West 125th St, 3rd Fl
(T) (646)284-9600
(F) not reported

Populations Studied

Target Population Recipients/participants/clients
Caseworkers/Managers
Low-income households
Subgroups Analyzed None
Sample Size and Unit Experimental Impact analysis: n=500 low income individuals;
Non-experimental Impact analysis: n= 600 IDA participants;
Process/Implementation analysis: n= 14 sites.
Execution Four waves of site visits at 12, 24, 36, and 48 months after baseline.

Sites Studied

Nationwide