Assessing the Evidence About Work Support Benefits and Low-Income Families: Rationale...

“The paper aims to address three key questions, summarizing for each both what the researchers have already found out and what gaps in evidence remain. First, how well do health, nutrition, and child care subsidy programs reach low-income working families? Second, what benefits do families gain from participating in the programs, including short-term benefits, such as meeting day-to-day needs, and longer-term benefits, such as more stable work and higher earnings? Third, what benefits accrue to state agencies if they modernize their approach to program administration, within individual programs and across programs? The author explores how Work Support Strategies Demonstration builds on existing research to answer these questions” (p.5). (Abstractor: Author)

Full publication title: Assessing the Evidence About Work Support Benefits and Low-Income Families: Rationale for a Demonstration and Evaluation

• “Despite recent increases in the number of recipients in SNAP and Medicaid, and particularly impressive accomplishments in expanding children’s enrollment in Medicaid, considerable gaps remain in all programs as to participation among eligible working families” (p.2). • Considerable evidence demonstrates that health, nutrition, and child care benefit programs “help families address immediate needs and reduce short-term hardships, such as food insecurity” (p.3). • “Researchers have found links between [work support programs] and positive employment outcomes for parents, such as work stability and earnings” (p.3). • “Several studies show that states view modernization strategies in SNAP, public health insurance, and child care positively, with effects including improved client access, reduced errors, improved customer service and long-term administrative cost efficiencies” (p.4). (Abstractor: Author and Website Staff)

• Last Updated:
• Created:
• Resource Publication Date: 2011
• Author(s): Mills, Gregory; Compton, Jessica F.; Golden, Olivia
• Organizational Author(s): Urban Institute; Ford Foundation
• Funding Source: Ford Foundation
• Resource Availability: Publicly available
• Posted by: Wesley Peterson
• Posted in: Workforce System Strategies