Citation URL: http://www.urban.org/KathrynASchlichter

Recent Changes in Welfare and Work, Child Care, and Child Welfare Systems are based on discussions with program administrators, front-line workers, policy advocates, and focus groups in Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas, Wisconsin, California, Colorado, New Jersey, New York, and Washington. Recent Changes analyzes what has happened to the cash assistance, employment and training, child care, and child welfare systems in each state since the enactment of federal welfare reform.

The purpose of this evaluation is to assess whether STOP's financial support for direct victim services offered through private nonprofit victim service (VS) agencies helps victims of domestic violence and sexual assault improve their safety and well-being and work successfully with legal system and other relevant agencies.

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-193; PRWORA) changed the fundamental structure of welfare. It created the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, eliminating the entitlement nature of cash assistance. It imposed lifetime limits on receipt of assistance, and demanded that far more recipients engage in much greater levels of work activity. The Act imposed performance standards on states, and specified potential sanctions for failing to meet the standards.

Since the STOP (Services, Training, Officers, Prosecutors) program began in 1995, the states have made great strides in implementing their own strategies for helping victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Statistics on arrests, prosecution, and other justice system activities are beginning to show the impact of these changes stimulated by STOP.

This evaluation reports findings from an Urban Institute telephone survey of STOP projects identified by their state coordinators as developing a community-wide coordinated response to combat violence against women. In particular, the survey explored and identified the types of STOP-funded projects with this goal, the permanence of changes resulting from these funds, gaps in service, and the impact STOP funding has had on services for women. The STOP grants are given to assist states and units of local government to develop and strengthen effective law enforcement and prosecution strategies to combat violent crimes against women, and to develop and strengthen victim services in cases involving violent crimes against women.

Since the STOP program began in 1995, the states have made great strides in implementing their own strategies for developing community responses to domestic violence and sexual assault. In telephone interviews, state STOP administrators are unanimous in their agreement that STOP money is achieving important things in the community. Some administrators say that without these funds, many of the violence against women programs that currently operate in their states would not exist; as one stated: "The VAWA (Violence Against Women Act) money is some of the most valuable funding our state receives."

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