A Fresh Look at an Old Debate: Assigned Work Activities, Employment, and Post-program Earnings in TANF Work Programs

School or Therapy: Two Approaches to Empowering Welfare-Reliant Women

“…There is evidence, however, that increased earnings after leaving the TANF program are more likely for those participants who pursue vocational and on-the-job training while on welfare, as well as those who work in a regular job during that time (Davis, Lim, & Livermore, 2011). Further, research shows that strict work requirements are linked with lower wages (Cheng, 2007), whereas programs with more lenient work requirements appear to be linked with higher rates of finding a job that provides health benefits (Lim, Coulton, & Lalich, 2009).…”