Long regarded as the premier investigator of policies designed to improve the lives of low-income families on welfare, MDRC is bringing its research skills and reputation for methodological rigor to the new challenge of learning what works best to improve the economic and social health of low-income workers and communities.  more

Hometown Projects: MDRC’s Work in New York City MDRC has built a diverse portfolio of research projects focused on improving the lives of poor families throughout the city, developed in collaboration with state and local agencies, schools, and nonprofits. MDRC's newest hometown venture is Mayor Bloomberg's Opportunity NYC, a conditional cash transfer program to help families break the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Why Has the Poverty Rate Not Fallen Since the Early 1970s? Gayle Hamilton Coauthors Article on Random Assignment and Informed Consent in American Journal of Evaluation MDRC Experts Presenting at National Welfare Research Conference, August 17-20 MDRC Experts Featured at Federal Welfare Research Conference, May 28-30

New Hope for the Working Poor Effects After Eight Years for Families and Children Implemented in 1994 in Milwaukee, New Hope provided full-time, low-wage workers with several benefits for three years: an earnings supplement, low-cost health insurance, and subsidized child care. A random assignment study shows positive effects for both adults and children, some of which persisted five years after the program ended. The Employment Retention and Advancement Project Results from the Valuing Individual Success and Increasing Opportunities Now (VISION) Program in Salem, Oregon Implementation and Second-Year Impacts for Lone Parents in the UK Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) Demonstration The Employment Retention and Advancement Project Results from Two Education and Training Models for Employed Welfare Recipients in Riverside, California