View Research by Author - Pamela J. Loprest

Publications

Considerable research attention has been devoted to low-income mothers disconnected from both work and welfare. This body of work has rarely highlighted disconnected mothers' roles as parents and has remained virtually silent about the experiences and well-being of their children. This paper synthesizes research findings to show that many of the circumstances disconnected mothers face pose major risks to children's development and potentially serious consequences for children. We describe potential interventions to help disconnected families by increasing and stabilizing family income, enhancing parenting skills, supporting children directly, and reaching out to disconnected mothers who are not citizens.

Work Support Strategies (WSS) is a multiyear, multi-state initiative to implement reforms that help eligible low-income families get and keep a full package of work support benefits, including Medicaid, nutrition assistance (SNAP), and child care assistance. This report describes Colorado's accomplishments and lessons learned during the initiative’s first year. In this planning year, Colorado improved collaboration between the state human services and health agencies, and between the state and counties. Improved collaboration led to a shortened joint benefit application, quicker processing of SNAP applications and recertifications, cohesive plans for implementing health reform, and supplemental budget funds to improve the statewide automated benefits system.

Work Support Strategies (WSS) is a multiyear, multi-state initiative to implement reforms that help eligible low-income families get and keep a full package of work support benefits, including Medicaid, nutrition assistance (SNAP), and child care assistance. This report describes North Carolina's accomplishments and lessons learned during the initiative's first year. In this planning year, North Carolina broke down state program silos and instituted a review board to assure cross-program input to policy changes. The state engaged with counties around the implementation of a new benefits eligibility system and encouraging innovation in business processes and piloted alignment of program certification dates.

Work Support Strategies (WSS) is a multiyear, multi-state initiative to implement reforms that help eligible low-income families get and keep a full package of work support benefits, including Medicaid, nutrition assistance (SNAP), and child care assistance. This report describes Oregon's accomplishments and lessons learned during the initiative's first year. During the planning year, the state continued its numerous activities to streamline benefit eligibility for health programs, align policies across health and other work support programs, and prepare for an automated integrated eligibility system. The major focus of the WSS team was on change management in local field offices.

This report explores workforce and asset development strategies for improving the economic security of extremely vulnerable families, those facing major challenges beyond poverty. Evidence drawn from the authors' own research, their review of relevant literature, and learning sessions conducted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Center for Community and Economic in Washington, DC, Chicago, and Portland, Maine, suggests that programs can succeed at improving the skills and employability of extremely vulnerable parents and increasing their savings to help tide them through emergencies. The paper also highlights opportunities to inform policy and support targeted research to advance this agenda.

Over the next five years, employment growth is projected to be slightly higher for jobs that require both the lowest and highest levels of education, although job growth is modest to slow across the board. The prospects for low-skill workers in the short-term are best in the leisure and hospitality sector and the professional and business services sector, with additional jobs appearing in construction as that sector continues to recover. A companion portrait of unemployed workers highlights that a disproportionate number of those seeking work are low-skilled.

This report describes work in Connecticut, Indiana, South Carolina, and Wisconsin to link Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) with other administrative data for operational and research purposes. The report describes the agencies and organizations involved, each state’s planning process, goals, and achievements, and the Urban Institute’s role as technical assistance contractor. All four states proposed linkages with the National Directory of New Hires (NDNH), but two states dropped these plans after learning of costs and limitations of the NDNH. The report concludes with recommendations for supporting future state efforts and for facilitating research use of the NDNH.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) caseloads have plummeted since the program was enacted in 1996. This brief summarizes changes to the caseload during the period of decline and explores factors that have contributed to caseload change. It highlights some dramatic changes in the program including the dramatic drop in the take-up rate (the percentage of eligible families receiving assistance) and the huge increases in nonassistance TANF expenditures such as emergency payments and the the share of TANF cases with benefits only provided for the children.

Most TANF recipients have at least one barrier to work, and many have multiple barriers. The likelihood of work declines as the number of barriers increases. This brief summarizes the strategies that states use to help TANF recipients with barriers to employment. It reviews the limited research evidence on the short- and long-term effects of employment-focused and treatment-focused interventions. It draws implications for policy, including recommendations for more effective screening and assessment, faster resolution of applications for disability benefits and the need for case management and broad support services.

The share of low-income single mothers disconnected from work and TANF ranges from 20 to 25 percent. Most disconnected low-income single mothers experience barriers to work and most of their families live in poverty. This brief reviews what we know about the numbers and characteristics of disconnected mothers, their economic well-being, their living arrangements, and the length of time that they tend to be disconnected. The brief draws lessons for policy, including efforts for keep TANF recipients in great need from losing TANF benefits and becoming disconnected and to improve employment prospects for those with serious challenges to work.

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