This paper considers four programs--Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), food stamps, child care subsidies, and the earned income tax credit (EITC)--that form the core work support system in the United States. It highlights differences in program funding, eligibility, and delivery systems. It describes trends in participation and synthesizes research knowledge about the observed differences in program participation. The paper concludes that these programs do not form an effective system. Each program operates under different rules that many low-income working families find daunting. A few recent state innovations offer potential for improving the system.

Low-income families have a variety of income supports available to help encourage stable employment and increase self sufficiency, including TANF, SCHIP, Medicaid, food stamps, and childcare subsidies. This article reviews a streamlined strategy to help families access necessary income supports. By integrating service delivery through call centers and the Internet, States can implement a comprehensive approach to better serve families.

This research from MDRC reviews caseload dynamics for food stamps in Cuyahoga County, OH; Los Angeles, CA; Miami-Dade County, FL; and Philadelphia, PA. The data reviewed caseload data from 1993 to 2001, and found that across all sites, the food stamp caseload declined. Additionally, it was found that most recipients receive food stamps for at least seven months.

This report from the Center for the Study of Social Policy reviews State policies that support families, children and low-wage workers while also contributing to states’ economic stability.

Family formation and healthy marriages have been key to welfare reform to improve outcomes for low-income families. Mathematica, contracting with ASPE, conducted this study of food stamp and TANF eligibility and participation among 2-parent families, as compared with single parent families and cohabiting couples. Among the findings, low-income married families were found to have lower participation rates than single parent households.

On April 7-8, 2004, the Welfare Peer Technical Assistance Network provided support resources for two members of the Michigan Family Independence Agency (FIA) to attend the USDA Food and Nutrition Service meeting entitled "Using Technology to Improve Administration of the Food Stamp Program" in Olympia, Washington. Please reference the below link to read the final report.

This report details the presentations given and questions, answers, and concerns articulated by members of the ACF Region V States at the June State Human Services Officials Meeting.

This audio conference was coordinated by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) as part of its Family Independence Forum series available to ACF Regional offices and State social service offices. The Supporting Families After Welfare Reform program is a new $6.8 million initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The purpose of the program is to help States and large counties address problems in eligibility processes that make it difficult for low-income families (particularly families moving from Welfare to Work) to access and retain Medicaid, the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), or Food Stamps. The program includes technical assistance for States and counties developing and using eligibility and enrollment data to improve their systems; workshops on the barriers in State and local eligibility and enrollment processes; and resources to implement proposed solutions. This new initiative will provide technical assistance and grants for up to twenty-two States and large counties to improve their enrollment and redetermination processes for Medicaid, SCHIP, and Food Stamps.