Welfare Policy Research Project

A policy brief of a study focused on the characteristics of CalWORKs participants in San Joaquin County, whether they face significant barriers to employment, and how, if at all, these barriers affect their employment, earnings, and reliance on CalWORKs.

Full report of a study that focused on the characteristics of CalWORKs participants in San Joaquin County, whether they face significant barriers to employment, and how, if at all, these barriers affect their employment, earnings, and reliance on CalWORKs.

This policy brief is an executive summary of a report that provides an overview of California's immigrant families in the 1990s, with a special focus on changes in patterns of participation in public assistance programs.

Detailed research findings that provide an overview of California's immigrant families in the 1990s, with a special focus on changes in patterns of participation in public assistance programs.

Detailed research findings of a study that identifies the range of post employment services provided to welfare recipients by California's 58 counties.

An executive summary of a detailed report that identifies the range of post employment services provided to welfare recipients by California's 58 counties.

Detailed research findings of a process analysis drawn from site visits to four focus counties (Alameda, Fresno, Kern and San Diego) that examines how the counties implemented sanctions under CalWORKs, including how the counties conveyed sanction policies to recipients, how well recipients understood sanctions, recipients’ experiences with sanction and compliance processes, and how counties attempted to prevent or “cure” sanctions.

The executive summary of an analysis of sanctioned and non-sanctioned cases that relies on administrative data from four counties (Alameda, Fresno, Kern and San Diego). It examines sanction rates; describes and compares the characteristics of sanctioned and non-sanctioned households; examines how sanctions affected recipients’ employment, earnings, and reliance on welfare; and models the likelihood that households with certain characteristics will be sanctioned within their first year of CalWORKs participation.

A policy brief providing an executive summary of a process analysis drawn from site visits to four focus counties (Alameda, Fresno, Kern and San Diego) that examines how the counties implemented sanctions under CalWORKs, including how the counties conveyed sanction policies to recipients, how well recipients understood sanctions, recipients’ experiences with sanction and compliance processes, and how counties attempted to prevent or “cure” sanctions.

The first in a series of reports resulting from a statewide study with six focus counties aimed at fully understanding the effects of the 60-month CalWORKs time limit. It describes the state’s and counties’ early efforts to implement CalWORKs timelimit policies.

An executive summary aimed at California policymakers describing CalWORKs families as they approach the time limit. Analysis of findings from a telephone survey conducted between June 2004 and August 2005 of 1,797 recipients in six focus counties who were within six months of reaching the sixty-month time limit according to county administrative records. The survey explores the demographic characteristics of the recipients as well as family employment and employment history, barriers to employment, material hardship, and knowledge of the time-limit policy and the amount of time on aid still available to them.

A policy brief on the early implementation of the welfare time limit in California that includes analysis of statewide administrative data, onsite interviews with State officials and staff at six focus counties (Alameda, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, and Tulare), and a survey of all counties.