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http://www.researchforum.org/project_general_10.html |
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To Strengthen Michigan’s Families (TSMF) Evaluation
General Information
View a brief abstract of this project.
| Evaluator(s) |
Abt Associates, Inc. |
| Investigator(s) |
Alan Werner
(Abt Associates, Inc.)
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| Sponsor(s) |
Michigan Family Independence Agency |
| Funder(s) |
Michigan Family Independence Agency |
| Subcontractor(s) |
Not applicable |
| Domain |
Income Security/TANF |
| Status | Completed (final report released) |
| Duration | Oct 1992 - Sep 1996 |
| Type |
Research and/or Program Evaluation |
| Goal | To evaluate the components of To Strengthen Michigan’s Families (TSMF). |
| Program/Policy Description | TSMF is a comprehensive welfare reform program aimed at strengthening the attachment to work and the movement toward self-sufficiency through employment. "TSMF 1" (between 10/1/92-10/1/94) included provisions such as earnings disregards and a "Social Contract". In 10/1/94, TSMF was expanded; "TSMF 2" included additional provisions, such as a Work First program and heavier financial sanctions for non-compliance. |
| Notes | TSMF began 10/1/92, but additional provisions were implemented 10/1/94. |
| Last Updated | 01/15/04 |
| Type of Summary | Reviewed |
| External Reviewer(s) |
Alan Werner
(Abt Associates, Inc.)
|
| Contact(s) |
Alan Werner (alan_werner@abtassoc.com)
Abt Associates, Inc. 55 Wheeler Street (T) (617)-492-7100 (F) (617)-492-5219 |
| Publications Department |
Abt Publications (not reported)
Abt Associates, Inc. 4808 Montgomery Lane (T) not reported (F) not reported |
Populations Studied
| Target Population |
Recipients/participants/clients Former recipients ("leavers") |
| Subgroups Analyzed |
None |
| Sample Size and Unit |
14,718 welfare recipients (families) receiving AFDC or SFA (State Family Assistance). Includes 9,793 ongoing cases (recipients active on welfare on 10/1/92), and 4,925 new cases (recipients certified between 10/1/92 and 9/30/94). Random assignment of 7,234 recipients in treatment group, 7,484 recipients in control group. |
Sites Studied
4 local Michigan offices:Kalamazoo (Kalamazoo County), Michigan
Madison Heights (Oakland County), Michigan
McNichols/Goddard (Wayne County), Michigan
Schaefer/Six Mile (Wayne County), Michigan
Program Components, Policies, and Activities Evaluated
Employment activities
- Job skills training
- Job readiness activities
- Job search
- Job placement
- On the job training
- Work supplementation programs
- Self-employment
Educational activities
- Adult Basic Education (ABE) courses
- English as a Second Language (ESL)
- GED courses
- High school completion
- Post-secondary education
- Educational Activities - misc.
Financial incentives
- Earnings disregards
- Elimination of 100 hour rule
- Excluding the value of one vehicle
- Lower benefit reduction rate
- Deductions for business investments leading to self-employment
- Financial Incentives - misc.
Financial disincentives/Sanctions
- Reduced benefits for non-compliance
- Strengthened JOBS sanctions
Program requirements
- Work requirement
- Community or alternative work
- Parenting or social contract
- Immunizations for children
Eligibility
- Eligibility - misc.
Food stamps
- Food Stamps - misc.
Administration/Implementation
- Administration/Implementation - misc.
| Variation in program components across sites? | No |
| Notes on program components |
Changes in eligibility: Two parent families only have to meet financial criteria for AFDC to be eligible for both AFDC and Medicaid. Educational activities: Adult basic education, English as a second language, GED courses, high school completion, post-secondary education, and school readiness activities are offered. Employment activities: Strengthened JOBS participation requirements. Adult welfare recipients must enter into a "Social Contract" under which they agree to engage in personally and/or socially useful activities for at least 20 hours/week. Participants who do not fulfill the Contract may be referred to a job training program for welfare clients, the Michigan Opportunity and Skills Training (MOST) Program. Mandatory employment, education and/or training services. Strong emphasis on job search and immediate job placement. Financial disincentives/sanctions: Family grant reduced by 25% for non-compliance with work requirements. Case may be closed if individual is non-compliant for one year. Family grant reduced by $25/month for non-compliance with age-appropriate immunization requirements for pre-school children. Financial incentives: AFDC children can earn and save without affecting program benefits. For working adults, the first $200/month of gross earnings plus 20% of the remainder is disregarded for as long as they combine work and welfare. Food stamps: Roughly equivalent rules regarding sanctions, self-employment expenses and vehicle exclusions to the Food Stamp Program. Program operations: Program implementation is studied. Program requirements: Recipients are required to immunize children and engage in community or alternative work. |
Outcomes Assessed
Family and relationship outcomes
- Violence in family or other relationships (child abuse and neglect)
- Foster care
Income security
- Earnings
- Food stamps receipt
- Medicaid receipt
- Welfare receipt
Sanctions
- Sanctions - misc.
Program implementation
- Program Implementation - misc.
Employment
- Employment - misc.
Child Outcomes
- Child overall development
Types of Studies
| Type | Impact Study (Controlled Experiment) |
| Aim | To measure the impacts of TSMF on AFDC and SFA clients. |
| Type | Implementation/Process Study |
| Aim | To document initial TSMF planning, development, startup and operations, as well as the context in which the experimental offices operate TSMF, and to assess the generalizability of experimental results. |
Data Sources
| Source | Administrative data |
| Title | State-operated computerized data files: the FIA Client Information System; the Michigan Employment Security Agency’s (MESA) wage reporting system; the Michigan Child Welfare System (abuse, neglect, and foster care); and the JOBS/Work First files |
| Sample Characteristics/Data Collection |
MFIA collected monthly for 48 months. MESA collected quarterly for up to 48 months. |
| Sites | All sites. |
| Response Rate/Attrition Notes | N/A |
| Additional Execution Notes | No notes reported. |
Findings Available
Interim Impact FindingsFinal Impact Findings
Findings
| 06/01/96: To Strengthen Michigan’s Families (TSMF) Evaluation: Fourth Annual Report: Third-Year Impacts |
| Interim Impact Findings: "TSMF has significantly increased the employment and earnings, and reduced the welfare participation and payments, of families who were on welfare when the program was started in October 1992. The program has had mixed results for families certified for welfare after that date, having little effect on those entering TSMF in its first year of operations, and reducing welfare participation and payments among those entering in the second year" (i). "Although the program was designed to increase clients’ employment and earnings, and to decrease welfare participation and payments in turn, these effects might take some time to develop...Its impacts may also depend upon the time at which clients were first exposed to its policies" (14-15). |
| 01/01/97: To Strengthen Michigan's Families (TSMF) Evaluation: Final Impact Report |
| Final Impact Findings: "TSMF continued to increase adults’ employment and earnings after four years and increased the last group’s employment by the end of one year"(v). "TSMF reduced welfare participation in all the research groups and reduced benefits for ongoing families and the middle group of families"(vi). "Adults in TSMF were generally more likely to combine work and welfare, and less likely to remain on welfare without working"(vii). "TSMF generally caused Medicaid eligibility to increase for adults in two-parent families"(vii). "TSMF increased total family income for ongoing families"(vii). "TSMF generally had no impacts on foster care placements or child abuse and neglect"(vii). |
| 05/01/95: To Strengthen Michigan's Families (TSMF) Evaluation: Third Annual Report: Second Year Impacts |
Interim Impact Findings
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Recommendations
| To Strengthen Michigan's Families (TSMF) Evaluation: Final Impact Report (01/01/97) |
| "Although Michigan remains committed to assisting families with children beyond [the five year TANF limit], it will have to do so exclusively with its own funds; it is thus in MFIA’s [Michigan’s Family Independence Agency] interest to help all welfare families achieve self-sufficiency within five years"(xi). "It should be noted that over the course of the study, Michigan has been enjoying a very favorable economy. Nevertheless, the policy innovations of TSMF have combined with the healthy economic climate in helping to lift a substantial portion of Michigan’s welfare caseload off assistance"(xi). |
Existing Publications
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