MDRC Welfare & Barriers to Employment Publications http://www.mdrc.org Welfare & Barriers to Employment Publications, Fast Facts, Issue Focus Briefs, and Videos from MDRC us-en © 2007 MDRC 2008-06-13 Brad Petrie <brad.petrie@mdrc.org> Brad Petrie <brad.petrie@mdrc.org> MDRC Logo http://www.mdrc.org/images/site/nav_logo.gif http://www.mdrc.org Welfare Time Limits: An Update on State Policies, Implementation, and Effects on Families http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=zCEICYPn34VVVTPHlckQ One of the most controversial features of the 1990s welfare reforms was the imposition of time limits on benefit receipt. This comprehensive review, written by The Lewin Group and MDRC, includes analyses of administrative data reported by states to the federal government, visits to several states, and a literature review. The Employment Retention and Advancement Project: Results from the Valuing Individual Success and Increasing Opportunities Now (VISION) Program in Salem, Oregon http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=kQNvrGDk7qUPOTrrDO7I A program to promote better initial job placements, employment retention, and advancement among unemployed applicants to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program faced implementation challenges and had no employment-related impacts after one year of follow-up. The Employment Retention and Advancement Project: Results from Two Education and Training Models for Employed Welfare Recipients in Riverside, California http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=iY9J__0TwMDXipmtGC0r Two education and training programs for employed, single-parent welfare recipients had small impacts on attendance in basic education or training overall but had larger impacts for disadvantaged groups. However, over two years, neither program increased employment and earnings levels overall or for any subgroup. Issue Focus: Why Focus on the Hard-to-Employ? http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=78yevI7EATMwrAsUxPwD For at least three decades, policymakers, researchers, and program operators have developed and studied strategies to help people who face serious obstacles to steady work. Despite the broad policy interest in serving the hard-to-employ, knowledge about effective program strategies is still relatively undeveloped. Issue Focus: Some Reflections on the Eleventh Anniversary of Welfare Reform http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=wQUFJuio0VtCsmeI39GD Last month marked the eleventh anniversary of the federal welfare reform law, the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. What have we learned about the effectiveness of welfare-to-work programs, and what challenges remain for those who have left welfare, as well as for those who are still on the rolls? Issue Focus: Can Employment Programs Help Ex-Prisoners Successfully Reenter Society? http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=K3bVZSfEFcXZeowHeZgl Each year, more than 600,000 people are released from prison and seek to rejoin their communities. The obstacles to successful reentry are daunting, starting with the challenge of finding stable work. But there is new interest among researchers, community advocates, and public officials in prisoner reentry initiatives, particularly those focused on employment. VIDEO: Effective Ways to Move Welfare Recipients into Work http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=gSYNzf83_dPUaYCnjbFY The most effective strategy for increasing welfare recipients employment and earnings is neither to help them find jobs first nor to encourage them to enroll in education and training programs first. Find out what works best in this seven-minute video presentation, which summarizes the findings from 16 years of rigorous research in sites across the country. Fast Fact: The Lasting Impact of the Minnesota Family Investment Program http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=dSRedMUYFXLHq98OpOh3 Fast Fact: What Is the Best Way to Move Welfare Recipients into Work? http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=B9Ngv6E59RMcY32RzEi5 Fast Fact: How Solid Were Big-City Job Gains Under Welfare Reform? http://www.mdrc.org/sps/go.cgi?c=XjbWGk_5aOYze5n2fM7K