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http://www.researchforum.org/project_general_403.html |
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Assets for Independence Act Evaluation
General Information
View a brief abstract of this project.
| Evaluator(s) |
Abt Associates, Inc. |
| Investigator(s) |
Gregory Mills
(Abt Associates, Inc.)
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| 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
NationwideProgram Components, Policies, and Activities Evaluated
Social/Support services
Administration/Implementation
| Variation in program components across sites? | No |
Outcomes Assessed
Standard of living
Program implementation
Income security
Financial costs and benefits/cost-effectiveness
Employment
Adult outcomes
Types of Studies
| Type | Impact Study (Controlled Experiment) |
| Type | Impact Study (Quasi-experiment with non-equivalent control groups) |
| Type | Implementation/Process Study |
| Type | Cost-Benefit Study |
Data Sources
| Source | Administrative data |
| Source | Field Research |
| Source | Interview |
| Source | Program descriptions and documents |
Findings Available
Interim Implementation FindingsInterim Descriptive/Analytical Findings
Recommendations
Existing Publications
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