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http://www.researchforum.org/project_general_230.html |
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Evaluation of the North Carolina Work First Program
General Information
View a brief abstract of this project.
| Evaluator(s) |
MAXIMUS, Inc. |
| Investigator(s) |
Philip A. Richardson
(MAXIMUS, Inc.)
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| Domain |
Income Security/TANF |
| Status | Completed (final report released) |
| Duration | Jul 1996 - Mar 2003 |
| Type |
Research and/or Program Evaluation |
| Program/Policy Description | The project is designed to evaluate North Carolina's welfare reform program, known as Work First. The evaluation combines three methodologies: 1) surveys of current and former welfare clients and diverters, 2) longitudinal analysis of administrative data on welfare recipients, leavers, and diverters, including TANF participation, food stamp participation, and earnings, and 3) site visits to counties to examine program implementation and best practices. One component of the study is the examination of "devolution" of the TANF program to selected counties under legislation passed in 1998. |
| Notes | No notes reported. |
| Last Updated | 04/16/03 |
| Type of Summary | Unreviewed |
| Contact(s) |
Philip A. Richardson (philrichardson@maximus.com)
MAXIMUS, Inc. 11419 Sunset Hills Road (T) (703) 251-8500 (F) (703)251-8240 |
| Submitter(s) |
Philip A. Richardson (philrichardson@maximus.com)
MAXIMUS, Inc. 11419 Sunset Hills Road (T) (703) 251-8500 (F) (703)251-8240 |
Populations Studied
| Target Population |
Recipients/participants/clients Former recipients ("leavers") Persons diverted from welfare |
| Subgroups Analyzed |
Applicants Single parent families Two-parent families Persons with substance abuse problems Children 1-6 Local government Caseworkers/managers/administrators Persons with mental/physical health problems Child-only cases Rural Populations |
| Sample Size and Unit | Several surveys have been completed or are in progress: 1) surveys of 315 families who left welfare due to time limits, 2) surveys of 242 families who received lump-sum diversion payments, and 3) surveys of 1,875 welfare leavers. |
| Execution | Response rates in excess of 70 percent have been achieved on all surveys to date. |
Sites Studied
North CarolinaSite visits and special studies are being conducted in 23 counties. Surveys and administrative data analysis are also being conducted on a statewide basis.
Program Components, Policies, and Activities Evaluated
Employment activities
Financial incentives
Program requirements
Time limits
Family caps
Social/Support services
Diversionary activities
Administration/Implementation
| Variation in program components across sites? | No |
Outcomes Assessed
Housing
Attitudes towards work, welfare, and program
Standard of living
Service utilization
Sanctions
Program implementation
Income security
Family and relationship outcomes
Employment
Substance abuse
Policy changes
Benefit termination
Adult outcomes
Caseload Dynamics
Types of Studies
| Type | Descriptive/Analytical Study |
| Type | Impact Study (Quasi-experiment with non-equivalent control groups) |
| Type | Implementation/Process Study |
| Type | Longitudinal/Prospective Study |
Data Sources
| Source | Survey |
| Source | Administrative data |
Findings Available
Interim Impact FindingsInterim Descriptive/Analytical Findings
Recommendations
Existing Publications
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