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Chapter II: Key Implementation Experiences of the Rural Welfare-to-Work Programs
The Rural Welfare-to-Work demonstration programs represent three distinct models to help clients move toward self-sufficiency. Illinois Future Steps is structured to help clients secure jobs relatively quickly and then stay employed, while BNF takes a longer-term, educational approach, emphasizing improved life skills rather than immediate employment. Tennessee First Wheels focuses on removing a single barrier to employment—inadequate transportation—by offering qualified clients the opportunity to purchase an automobile and the support they may need to keep this valuable asset.
In this chapter, we explore how these models for the demonstration programs developed and how closely the programs’ implementation has conformed to these models. We also describe key aspects of clients’ participation in the programs—the kinds of services they receive, how long and intensively they participate, and what difference the programs may have begun to make in their lives.
Developing And Implementing Program Models
A first step in understanding the operation of the Rural Welfare-to-Work programs is learning how the programs came into being and assessing whether their overall implementation has followed program designers’ plans. It is also useful to recognize aspects of the programs that have not developed as intended and to explore why this occurred.
- Models for the Rural Welfare-to-Work programs developed from pilot projects refined by the welfare agency and partner organizations.
All the demonstration programs were modeled on previous initiatives of the welfare agencies or their partner organizations. In Illinois, Advancing Opportunities, which was an employment program that several community colleges in the state offered, was a precursor to Future Steps. When state funding for Advancing Opportunities was cut, SCC and local administrators from IDHS created Future Steps by modifying the earlier program to make it suitable for other sources of support. Key changes for Future Steps included a greater emphasis on rapid employment, expansion of the eligible client population, and a lower cap—but increased flexibility—for supportive service payments.
Similarly, BNF emerged from a prior collaboration between UNCE and the Nebraska Health and Human Services System (NHHS). In designing BNF, the two entities built on a model from UNCE’s Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program (FSNEP), which provides home-based, one-on-one tutoring on healthy eating habits to resource-limited families referred by NHHS. Administrators from the two organizations recognized a gap in services for hard-to-employ TANF recipients in rural areas and believed a similar educational approach could benefit them. The range and intensity of services anticipated for BNF prompted an important adjustment to the FSNEP model: BNF educators must have master’s degrees, while FSNEP staff are bachelor’s-level paraprofessionals.
TDHS expanded First Wheels from a program operated by a single county to a statewide service, believing that it could benefit low-income clients widely. The expansion of the program’s scope prompted significant adjustments to several elements of the program’s design. Administrators created more stringent eligibility criteria, including a clean driving record and, for most clients, a record of employment. These criteria are intended to reduce the risks that vehicles will be damaged and that loans that are unlikely to be repaid will be issued. The employment requirement presents a tradeoff, however, as clients who might need transportation to secure or maintain a job often are not eligible to apply for a First Wheels loan.
The expansion also required TDHS to identify an organization that could act as fiscal agent and outreach partner for the program throughout the state. Although TDHS and the Tennessee RC&D had not collaborated previously, a regional RC&D council had worked on the county-operated version of First Wheels. Therefore, it seemed natural for TDHS to tap the state RC&D as a partner for the larger program.
- Overall, the programs’ implementation conforms to their models. Staff turnover and client enrollment have been challenges, but core services continue to be delivered.
The demonstration programs implemented many elements of their program models successfully. All three programs have provided the core services stipulated in their design: job search assistance and postemployment followup (Illinois), one-on-one life skills education (Nebraska), or car loans and ownership support (Tennessee). The programs also have been able to find and hire the number of employees they projected. In addition, characteristics of clients who actually enroll in the programs appear to match the populations targeted.
During the evaluation staff turnover has occurred in each program, temporarily affecting operations but not interrupting services substantially. For example, the SCC placement center director, Future Steps program coordinator, and several career specialists left Future Steps before the program concluded. Although replacements were found for some of these employees, the overall size of the program staff dropped, individual caseloads grew, and management support diminished somewhat toward the end of the demonstration period. BNF had no staff turnover for the first year of the evaluation period, but a few educators have left the program since. These departures have required the program coordinator to reassign some service areas and temporarily postpone future referrals until new educators are hired.
Two of the three programs—Future Steps and BNF—have served at least as many clients as planned. Future Steps enrolled a total of 313 people during its two years of operation, exceeding the program’s goal of 300 clients. BNF served more than 240 clients between March 2002 and September 2003, a pace that appears consistent with enrollment objectives.
In contrast, First Wheels has had difficulty recruiting the number of clients it expected to serve in rural areas. More than 400 First Wheels loans have been awarded throughout the state since the program’s inception in March 2000. Enrollment in rural areas slowed significantly over time, however; fewer than 30 loans were awarded to rural clients between October 2002 and August 2003, despite expansion of the program’s target population to include recipients of food stamps and child care assistance. Several factors may be responsible for this circumstance: (1) insufficient support for the program from state and regional administrators in the context of competing priorities for welfare agency line staff; (2) an unclear division of outreach responsibilities between TDHS and RC&D; (3) the perception among some TDHS administrators and caseworkers that the First Wheels application process is cumbersome; and (4) a relatively high eligibility threshold of two month’s employment for many clients. (We explore these issues in more detail later in this report.)
- Each program model included some features—secondary services or activities—whose implementation proved to be unworkable.
While the demonstration programs have provided most services as planned, some elements of the program models materialized only partially or not at all. These program features were enhancements that became impractical to implement, not core services.
The Future Steps program did not offer clients job training tailored to the needs of local employers, although program planners believed such services would help create links to employers and encourage job retention and advancement. Several factors appear to have contributed to this shortfall. Changes in Future Steps program leadership lowered the emphasis placed on initiating this component of the program, and fiscal pressures at SCC caused administrators to be more conservative with program resources. In addition, difficulty partnering with the local workforce development agency made it hard to structure and promote short-term vocational training opportunities. Finally, a strict work requirement for many TANF clients sometimes prevented them from participating in training.
Designers of BNF thought that some participants would do volunteer work to help them develop the basic life skills necessary for getting and keeping paid jobs. Few participants, however, appear to be interested in, or have time for, volunteer work. BNF staff members usually respect client preferences in developing individual educational plans and do not force them to participate in volunteer activities.
An innovative, but uncompleted, feature of the First Wheels plan is helping clients improve their credit records by reporting their payment histories to credit bureaus. This service would allow First Wheels clients who successfully paid off their loans to have this positive information reflected in their official credit histories. Program administrators chose not to undertake this task, however, after they discovered that credit bureaus charge substantial fees to receive the information and require that it be communicated in a specialized format. The funds and staff time required for reporting payment histories were thought to outweigh its potential benefit to clients.
Client Experiences
Clients in the demonstration programs can access a variety of services. Interviews with staff members, client focus groups, and MIS records provide information on the kinds of assistance clients actually receive and how regularly they participate in program activities.1
- Clients receive services that address a range of specific issues and employment barriers.
Although the demonstration programs are not necessarily designed to be “one-stop shops,” staff members do help clients with a variety of issues, especially in Future Steps and BNF. In addition to providing job search services or life skills education, Future Steps and BNF program staff members mentor clients as they help them address barriers to employment. This pattern may be related to the limited services generally available in rural areas—as program staff members work with clients, they take a broad approach to service delivery to fill such gaps.
The employment-related assistance that Future Steps provided included job search and job placement activities, along with support for advancement and retention. Most clients—85 percent—received help with employment. As Figure II.1 shows, more than four-fifths had general job search advice sessions with career specialists, often more than once. Smaller proportions received job placement help (41 percent) or job advancement advice (14 percent).
The topics covered in Future Steps staff-client meetings and the purposes of supportive service payments indicate the broad scope of issues beyond employment that career specialists addressed with clients. Figure II.2 shows the proportion of clients who had at least one discussion with Future Steps staff on specific topics. Nearly all clients (85 percent) discussed transportation issues with their Future Steps worker. Many clients also conferred with career specialists on family issues (43 percent), child care (36 percent), housing issues (33 percent), and workplace behavior (28 percent). In addition, while transportation assistance is not a core purpose of Future Steps, more than three-fifths of the program’s clients received at least one supportive service payment for transportation. Equipment and clothing purchases were another popular use of supportive service payments—more than a quarter of all clients accessed funds for this reason. Less frequent uses included payments for housing, utilities, and child care.
 Source: Future Steps management information system data. [D] |
 Source: Future Steps management information system data. a Only topics addressed with more than 10 percent of clients are listed. Other topics include parenting, money management, time management, domestic violence, substance/alcohol abuse, and nutrition (back) [D] |
least one discussion with Future Steps staff on specific topics. Nearly all clients (85 percent) discussed transportation issues with their Future Steps worker. Many clients also conferred with career specialists on family issues (43 percent), child care (36 percent), housing issues (33 percent), and workplace behavior (28 percent). In addition, while transportation assistance is not a core purpose of Future Steps, more than three-fifths of the program’s clients received at least one supportive service payment for transportation. Equipment and clothing purchases were another popular use of supportive service payments—more than a quarter of all clients accessed funds for this reason. Less frequent uses included payments for housing, utilities, and child care.
Similarly, BNF educators cover a range of subjects in the lessons they teach clients. The diversity of lesson topics suggests that clients come to the program with varied needs and that staff members attempt to fulfill a broad educational mission. Parenting is a common lesson topic, as Table II.1 indicates; nearly two-thirds of clients had at least one lesson on this subject. About half of all BNF clients have received lessons on problem solving, goal setting, or personal life skills. Other lesson topics taught to a large share of clients include building self-esteem (43 percent), stress management (37 percent), money management (33 percent), and healthy relationships (31 percent).
| Topic | Percent Of Clients That Had At Least One Lesson |
|---|---|
| Parenting | 65 |
| Problem Solving | 50 |
| Goal Setting | 49 |
| Personal Life Skills | 47 |
| Building Self-Esteem | 43 |
| Stress Management | 37 |
| Money Management | 33 |
| Healthy Relationships | 31 |
| Time Management | 27 |
| Decision-Making | 25 |
| Anger Management | 24 |
| Coping Skills | 23 |
| Child Development | 21 |
| Healthy Boundaries | 19 |
| Communication Skills | 17 |
| Nutrition | 11 |
| Household Management | 9 |
| Source: Building Nebraska Families management information system data. |
Clients affirm that program staff help them address a wide array of issues. One focus group participant, describing meetings with her Future Steps career specialist, noted that discussions cover “child care to car breaking down to if they’re going to bring you to work next week, if you have clothes to wear or…places we’re applying for jobs…just a lot of stuff.”
- On average, clients participate over an extended period.
Future Steps and First Wheels clients are connected with these programs for a year or more, while clients of BNF tend to participate for a shorter period. For Future Steps clients, nearly all contacts with program staff take place in the first six months after they enroll. During this period, they are likely to get help looking for work and, if they find employment, to receive support for job retention. After a Future Steps client has found a job and kept it for 90 days, the frequency of contacts drops; career specialists will send letters or make occasional phone calls to let clients know that they can still access Future Steps services, including supportive service payments, if their employment situation changes.
Clients of BNF participate until they “graduate” by meeting goals established when they enter the program (usually employment and increased self-sufficiency), or until they leave for other reasons, such as relocation or insufficient interest in continuing. BNF sets high standards for graduation, given the barriers its client population faces, and the majority of clients do not actually graduate. Those clients who do not reach this milestone may still benefit from participating in the program, however. While some BNF clients stay in the program for a year or longer, five months’ participation is the average for clients in the evaluation sample thus far.
First Wheels clients are considered “active” for the life of their loans, most of which have a term of 30 to 36 months. At any time during this period, program managers may work with clients on such issues as finding a mechanic, making special arrangements for payments, or getting approval for an increase in their loan to pay for needed car repairs.
- The programs range in the intensity and personalization of their services.
First Wheels program managers must work closely with some clients to ensure that they make regular and timely loan payments, but Future Steps and BNF generally entail more concentrated and frequent interaction with clients. Because BNF educators usually provide services during home visits, they become familiar with clients’ personal circumstances.
The frequency and duration of contacts between program staff and clients is a useful indicator of the intensity of program services. It also illustrates differences in service delivery between Future Steps and BNF. (Information on staff-client contacts is not available for First Wheels.) Future Steps clients met with career specialists about three times per month, on average, during their first six months in the program. These contacts typically lasted about 15 minutes—enough time for career specialists to briefly discuss job search progress and other issues with clients, offer job leads, and provide a supportive service payment, if needed. Most clients had repeated interaction with the program through meetings with career specialists or other services. Nearly three-quarters of Future Steps clients had at least 10 program contacts, and more than half had more than 20 contacts.
BNF educators also meet with clients about three times per month but spend more time with clients at each meeting. Nearly all meetings include a lesson covering a specific life skill, which lasts almost an hour, on average. Of clients in the evaluation sample, more than half have received at least 9 hours of education, and nearly one-third have had more than 15 hours. Many clients also receive homework assignments to complete between meetings with an educator.
In both Future Steps and BNF, small caseloads make it easy for clients to participate intensively. Staff members of these programs are responsible for a much smaller number of clients than caseworkers at public welfare agencies. IDHS workers carry caseloads of 200 to 400 clients, while Future Steps workers work with 35 at the most. The contrast is similar in Nebraska, where a caseload of 70 to 100 TANF clients is typical for welfare agency workers in many areas. BNF educators work with an average of just 11 clients at any one time.
- All the programs have difficulty engaging some clients.
A minority of clients in each program prove difficult to enroll or unwilling to continue participating. Clients appear to become disengaged more frequently in BNF than in the other two programs, perhaps because of the greater commitment of time the program requires for life skills lessons and personal contact during home visits. In contrast, Future Steps and First Wheels may find it easier to keep clients engaged, given the tangible nature of the benefits they offer—supportive service payments and car loans, respectively.
In Future Steps and First Wheels, the proportion of clients who have little or no contact with the program is relatively small. Future Steps service data indicate that the program was unable to make contact with about 1 out of every 20 clients referred to the program. First Wheels staff members report that they are in touch regularly with most clients whose loans are approved, through letters reminding them of payment and maintenance obligations and other methods. When a client stops “participating” by failing to make payments or respond to contact attempts, the program manager may repossess the client’s car—although this is generally a last resort. The program’s low rate of vehicle repossessions—about nine percent to date—indicates that most clients do fulfill their obligations.
BNF is successful in initially contacting most clients who are referred, but a sizable proportion are difficult to retain over time. Like Future Steps, BNF has little or no contact with about 1 in 20 clients who are referred to the program. Of those clients the program does engage, about one-fifth have had less than three hours of lesson time after at least three months. In addition, educators estimate that one-quarter to one-third of their caseload stops actively participating over the longer term. The intensity of the BNF intervention is one possible reason certain clients find it difficult to remain in the program—the expectation of regular home visits, hourlong sessions with an educator, and homework assignments may be overwhelming for some people. Other clients stop participating for logistical reasons (for example, they move out of the BNF service area).
- Clients report that the programs strengthen their motivation and self-confidence and give them a sense of control over their lives.
Most clients who attended focus groups felt that the demonstration program services are valuable. Clients mentioned not only the tangible benefits of program participation—supportive service payments or a car loan, for example—but also the difference the programs helped make in their outlook and motivation to gain employment.
For clients of Future Steps and BNF, the emotional support that program staff members provide appears to be at least as important as specific services like job search assistance or educational sessions. Although some employed Future Steps clients participating in the focus groups said that the program did not provide a direct lead to their current jobs, they did believe that the encouragement of a career specialist was an important factor in their success. As one client explained, “When you have someone backing you likethe career specialist], you feel like you can do anything….” Another client underscored the positive influence of high standards that career specialists set: “You feel like, ‘If I don’t do it, I’m going to let her down.’ And you don’t want to let her down so you push yourself to do it.” BNF participants report similar improvements in their level of self-assurance: “It’s absolutely been helpful to me,” according to one client who explained, “I think that more than anything, I have somebody to tell me, ‘Yeah, you can do this. And don’t sell yourself short, and don’t give up.’” Program staff members’ involvement in clients’ lives appears to help give them the confidence they need to set goals for themselves and move toward economic independence.
First Wheels clients also say they benefit from an improvement in self-esteem, largely due to the sense of security and dependability they gain from owning a car. Focus group participants described feeling angry, helpless, or depressed because of transportation difficulties before they obtained a car through First Wheels. A First Wheels loan helped lessen these frustrations. “I feel like I’m in control,” said one loan recipient. For another client, the car’s importance was tied to the fact that “it’s the only thing I have ever owned. Ever.” Having a car also helped First Wheels clients become more confident about their employment situations. According to one focus group participant, the best thing about having her own car is “knowing you can get up in the morning and get to work without having to worry if you’re going to make it to work.”
- Many Future Steps and BNF clients enter paid employment.
Future Steps and BNF program records indicate that a substantial number of clients do get paid jobs after they enroll. (Information on the employment history of First Wheels clients is not available, but most must already be employed to qualify for a loan.) Although clients’ employment cannot necessarily be attributed to their participation in the demonstration programs, these findings suggest that participants do have some success in securing jobs.
Among Future Steps clients, two-thirds became employed at least once after entering the program. Job turnover appeared to be common, however. More than one-fifth of employed clients switched jobs once while in the program, and nearly 3 in 10 had three jobs or more. The average hourly wage for employed clients was just over six dollars. A substantial proportion seemed able keep their jobs for some time; among clients who became employed, more than 40 percent were employed at least 90 days.
Available employment data for BNF clients is less detailed but also indicates that many clients held jobs. Educators submit monthly reports on clients’ progress, noting, among other items, whether a client maintained employment “none of the time,” “some of the time,” or “most of the time” in the prior month. According to these reports, among clients who participated in the program for up to nine months, 45 percent have maintained employment most of the time for one month, and more than a quarter have done so for three or more months (although these months may not be continuous).
1 For the analysis in this report, Future Steps MIS data covers client participation between July 2001 and February 2003 for those clients who enrolled in August 2002 or earlier (313 total). Building Nebraska Families MIS data covers the period April 2002 through February 2003 for clients who enrolled in November 2002 or earlier (109 total). The analysis includes clients with varying lengths of participation in the programs. (back)
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