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Most welfare-to-work programs designed to help single mothers leave welfare for employment focus on the challenge of finding a job. This article looks beyond the point of employment to consider the difficulty many former welfare recipients have keeping their jobs. The authors review evidence showing that many families cycle back and forth between welfare and work, losing jobs and returning to public assistance while they seek work again. Factors contributing to high rates of job loss include characteristics of the job and of the worker. Temporary jobs, frequent layoffs, low pay in relation to work expenses, lack of experience meeting employer expectations, and personal or family problems all lead to dismissals and resignations. Drawing from the experience of innovative programs, the authors recommend policy changes and program approaches that can help families overcome setbacks and stabilize their lives as they move from welfare into increasingly stable employment.

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Wilson and their teams, who worked hard to design materials and provide their best guidance throughout the pilot and evaluation in response to the myriad challenges faced by sites. Anne Menard provided wise guidance in the development of site protocols for identifying and addressing domestic violence. Our deepest appreciation is reserved for the couples who agreed to participate in the BSF demonstration and evaluation.The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of the Administration for Children and Families or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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