Final Synthesis Report of Findings from ASPE'S 'Leavers' Grants

Abstract

Since the passage of federal welfare reform in 1996, the federal cash assistance caseloads have dropped by over 50 percent. To address concerns about the well-being of families leaving welfare and to facilitate cross-state comparisons, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) of the United States the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) awarded competitive grants to select states and large counties in September, 1998, to conduct studies of families that have left the welfare rolls. This report reviews and synthesizes key findings from fifteen of the ASPE-funded leavers studies and includes information on leavers' employment, earnings, program participation, income and poverty status, material hardships, and child well-being.