View Research by Author - Kathleen Brennan

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

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) allows states greater flexibility in designing welfare-to-work program participation and exemption policies than previously provided. This report provides a 50 state review of about state TANF work program participation, exemption, and time limit policies as they apply to welfare recipients with disabilities or caring for family members with disabilities.

Administered by the U. S. Department of Labor and local Private Industry Councils (PICs), Welfare-to-Work is designed to serve people with the greatest difficulty finding and keeping a job. This brief describes how the $3 billion Welfare-to-Work Grants program operates and looks at the challenges facing the program.

This paper provides an overview of the Welfare-to-Work Grant Program, summarizes labor market barriers important for low-income, noncustodial fathers, and describes ways that community-based organizations can access funds. Included is an appendix that addresses frequently asked questions concerning welfare-to-work, competitive grants, and solicitation for grant applications.

This report reviews the government spending patterns in seven Midwest states (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin) and considers the feasibility of routinely conducting cross-state analysis of spending. The study used the annual surveys of state budgets conducted by the National Association of State Budget Officers and the U.S. Census Bureau. In addition, two major, state-level sources of fiscal information for each of the seven states were reviewed.

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