Work-Based Strategies for Hard-to-Employ TANF Recipients

Getting hard-to-employ TANF recipients into the workforce is an important ongoing policy challenge. Interest in work-based programs for this group is motivated by three factors:

• Concern that families currently receiving TANF face multiple and significant barriers to employment and may need more assistance in finding and maintaining a job
  
• Rekindled interest in exploring whether programs similar to those used in the National Supported Work Demonstration project might be replicable in the current post-welfare-reform environment
  
• Interest in whether work-based strategies used for other hard-to-employ populations outside the TANF system—for example, people who are disabled, homeless, or ex-offenders—could be expanded or adapted to serve TANF recipients

A report documents findings from a short-term study that identifies and describes work-based programs that are serving or could serve hard-to-employ TANF recipients. It also assesses the feasibility of conducting a rigorous, large-scale evaluation of these programs.

Researchers gathered information on 65 programs, conducted informal telephone conversations with 33 programs, and visited 9 sites. They identified four program models that currently help hard-to-employ individuals find and maintain employment: (1) paid work experience programs, (2) supported transitional publicly funded jobs programs, (3) supported transitional structured employment programs, and (4) supported competitive employment programs. Placement and retention data for some of these programs suggest that they are potentially successful interventions. Most program administrators felt that their programs could be successfully expanded and replicated.

For a printed copy of the report, contact Publications at Mathematica, (609) 275-2350.

Funding for the study was provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Policy, Research and Evaluation.

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