Since the welfare reform of 1996, sanctions have become an important policy for States moving families off welfare and into work. Largely understudied, this research provides information on the use of sanctions in Illinois, New Jersey, and South…

Rural low-income families trying to find jobs, maintain employment, and secure longer-term well-being face distinct challenges. In rural labor markets, jobs tend to be scarcer than in urban ones, and the jobs that are available more often involve…

This report explores the active role faith-based organizations are taking to better serve human, economic and neighborhood needs in their communities. The report is authored by John M. Wallace, Jr. PhD. of the University of Pittsburgh's School of…

Authored by Robert G. Wood, Anu Rangarajan, and John Deke. This Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. report compares the characteristics and experiences of two groups of Work First New Jersey clients: 1) an early group that participated in the first…

Authored by Lashawn Richburg-Hayes and Stephen Freedman. This MDRC report analyzes the experiences of welfare "cyclers" using five MDRC studies of welfare reform initiatives during the mid- to late-1990s. Overall, cyclers constituted a relatively…

This Final Report describes a workshop that took place on September 16, 2003, in New York City, sponsored by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (ETA).

Authored by Pietro S. Nivola, Jennifer L. Noyes, and Isabell V. Sawhill. This Policy Brief is part of a Brookings Institution series entitled Welfare Reform and Beyond. This is issue #29 of this series.