Employment & Self-Sufficiency

American Indian tribes and Alaska Native villages have embraced the goals, objectives, and programs associated with welfare reform, but the lack of jobs limits the success of tribal programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Welfare-to-Work (WtW). The lack of jobs is one of the biggest problems in Indian country.

The Welfare Indicators Act of 1994 requires the Department of Health and Human Services to prepare annual reports to Congress on indicators and predictors of welfare dependence.

Content Background Research Questions and Methods Key Findings Background Since the establishment of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, much attention has been given t

Content Findings from Existing Research Options for Future Research  

Contents Research Questions Data Sources Study Limitations Characteristics of the Study States Key Findings Potential Next Steps The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opport

Content Key Research Questions Data and Methods Key Findings Conclusions Endnotes

This report analyzes the experiences of welfare "cyclers," a group that has received relatively little attention in previous research on welfare dynamics. For this study, "cycling" is defined as receipt of welfare benefits during three or more discrete spells during a four-year "observation" period.

By: Lashawn Richburg-Hayes and Stephen Freedman MDRC April 2004 Submitted to:U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesOffice of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

By: Fredrik Andersson, Julia Lane, Erika McEntarfer  

National welfare reform legislation in 1996 created the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program, which imposed time limits on cash assistance receipt and broadened and strengthened mandates for clients to work or engage in work-related activities.