Paths to Work in Rural Places: Key Findings and Lessons from the Impact Evaluation of the Future Steps Rural Welfare-to-Work Program

Paths to Work in Rural Places: Key Findings and Lessons from the Impact Evaluation of the Future Steps Rural Welfare-to-Work Program

Published: Mar 22, 2006
Publisher: Princeton, NJ: Mathematica Policy Research
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Associated Project

Rural Welfare-to-Work Strategies Demonstration Evaluation

Time frame: 2000-2008

Prepared for:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families

Authors

Andrew Burwick

Michael Ponza

Shannon Phillips

Nuria Diaz-Tena

Judy Ng

Helping low-income families in rural areas find gainful employment and achieve economic self-sufficiency is an ongoing policy concern. The Rural Welfare-to-Work Strategies demonstration is using rigorous experimental designs to build knowledge about how to help low-income families in rural areas strive toward sustained employment and self-sufficiency. This report examines an employment-focused case management initiative deployed in southern Illinois. Despite a lack of impacts on employment, earnings, and self-sufficiency, the findings imply a need for stronger interventions in rural areas and demonstrate the challenges inherent in designing, implementing, and evaluating programs in these types of settings.

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