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 Burt Barnow and Christopher King. This posting provides the Rockefeller Institute's final report to the U.S. Department of Labor for its study of state and local administration of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) of 1998. The study includes findings for Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, Texas, and Utah.

Los Angeles' welfare caseload is larger than that of 48 of the 50 states. LA had a rigorous work participation requirement and developed policies to help move welfare recipients into jobs; over time, more recipients did go to work. However, most recipients still remained poor, and those who worked were usually in low-wage jobs without benefits. The challenge facing welfare policymakers is how to devise strategies to help low-wage workers acquire the skills needed to financially advance.

The child poverty rate in the 50 largest cities significantly increased between 1999 and 2004. Specifically, the child poverty rate in the 50 largest cities was 28 percent- compared to 18 percent nationally. From the Brookings Institution, this article reviews indicators of child wellbeing, including residing in single parent homes, in cities across the US.

By researching sanction policies across four counties in California, this article found that, for the most part, county workers reach out to participants to prevent sanctioning. Specifically, one county has found success with contracting out to community-based organizations to address barriers to work with noncompliant participants. The study also found gaps in case worker and recipient knowledge of sanction policies.

This report from the Welfare Policy Research Project in California examines predicting factors to sanctioning of welfare recipients in 1999 and the affect of sanctioning on future outcomes. It was found that only a small proportion of recipients were sanctioned in a given month. Also, speaking a primary language other than English decreased the likelihood of being sanctioned and the number of months in sanction status. Additionally, having young children also decreased the likelihood of being sanctioned and the number of months in sanction status.

This policy brief gives tips for encouraging saving for retirement of low-income families. It outlines the benefits for state and federal governments to promote retirement saving. Improvements and changes to TANF, food stamps, SSI, and Medicaid programs are outlined.

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.

This report from GAO examines changes in the overall level of welfare-related spending among nine states, changes in spending priorities for welfare-related nonhealth services, and the contribution of TANF funds to states' spending for welfare-related services. GAO reviewed spending for state fiscal years 1995, 2000, and 2004 and focused on spending for working-age adults and children, excluding the elderly, long-term and institutional care. GAO recommends that Congress should obtain additional information regarding allocation of state TANF dollars.

From the NGA Center for Best Practices, this issue brief outlines key provisions of the Deficit Reduction Act, and reviews the important role that the States play in strategic planning for the upcoming changes. In conclusion, it provides a list of questions to help guide strategic planning and decision-making.