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This exploratory study examined the level of involvement of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) applicants in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin with the child welfare system both before and after their application for TANF assistance and inclusion in the study. The study found a high level of involvement of TANF applicants with child protective services (CPS) agencies both before and after their application for TANF. Moreover, the imperfect nature of the matching process used to identify TANF applicants who had been investigated by CPS indicated that the study's numbers were in fact low estimates of the true level of involvement, with over half the sample possibly being investigated at some point by CPS. Multivariate models of the hazard of the sample's CPS involvement after TANF application revealed a set of robust correlates. (Contains 16 references.) (EV)

For several years, the Federal government of the United States has supported programs that employ and teach skills to disadvantaged workers, especially disadvantaged youth. By concentrating on serving youth, such programs have neglected disadvantaged adults, for whom such programs may often be more effective. This assertion is based on an experimental evaluation of a major subsidized work experience program called Supported Work, which was directed at groups selected partly because of their potential for committing crime. The groups in the demonstration sample for program evaluation included previously incarcerated offenders, known drug addicts, and youths known to be or considered likely to become delinquent. Evaluation showed that the program had little effect on young delinquents' post-program employment or on their criminal activity during or after participation in the program. However, among adult offenders and drug addicts, there was a tendency toward increased employment and reduced crime. The results of this experiment thus suggest that older disadvantaged workers, including those who are known offenders, may be much more responsive to the opportunity to participate in employment programs than those who are younger. It may be worthwhile to provide this opportunity more fully. (Author/MJL)

This paper details the assumptions guiding the National Supported Work Demonstration and describes the distinctions between Supported Work and other manpower and employment programs for ex-offenders. The theoretial linkages between crime, poverty, and unemployment postulated by sociologists and economists are discussed, along with their contributions to intervention policies and programs. A review of manpower programs that have attempted to produce changes in the behavior and lifestyle of ex-offenders through changes in employment opportunities reveals major drawbacks and inconclusive results. These problems provide a basis for the development of several key characteristics of Supported Work, which reflect both policy suggestions and theoretical explanations. While the potential for success of the Supported Work Program is assumed to derive from its contrast to earlier programs, the importance of recognizing the presence of many barriers in any attempt to intervene in the relationship between employment status and crime is stressed. (Author)

The quality of effort among public assistance personnel has been criticized virtually since the inception of welfare programs for the poor. However, until recently, empirical information on the performance of these workers has been nonexistent. The present study, concerned with Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) case decision errors, examines potential influences on performance at worker, supervisory, and agency levels. Over 5000 randomly selected AFDC cases were reviewed by quality-control personnel. Findings include: (1) case payment decisions of public welfare personnel are not independent of their attitudes and values; (2) the use of monitoring and control mechanisms, the increased specialization of case-aide work loads, the provision of support services to case aides, and the establishment of work conditions conducive to job satisfaction can reduce case decision errors; and (3) no relationship was found between variations in organizational structure and variations in payment error. (Author/RLV)

In recent years the delivery of social services in public welfare agencies has been separated from income maintenance responsibilities. This change has received support from many sources, including social workers. However, no systematic effort has been made to ascertain welfare recipients' response to separation. This report describes a field experiment that was designed to examine some of these responses. The experimental results suggest that the preseparation form of social service delivery leads to greater recipient demand for and greater satisfaction with services. Some implications of these results for social policy formation are discussed. (Author)