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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many people contributed in significant ways to the Rural Welfare-to-Work Strategies Demonstration Evaluation and the preparation of this report on the Future Steps program. The authors are especially grateful for the time and insights of staff from Shawnee Community College (SCC) and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), who collaborated in operating Future Steps. The evaluation would not have been possible without their ongoing cooperation. Staff from both organizations helped us obtain the necessary data for our analyses and provided many thoughtful insights about the program and its operation.
In particular, we would like to extend our gratitude to the SCC and Future Steps administrators and staff, including Tim Bellamey, Larry Choate, Kim Guetersloh, Kristal Abu-Thredeh, Bonnie Barnhart, Leslie Weldon, Tomi Gravatt, Molly Stratemeyer, Kristie Petermichael, Mae Yarbor, and Jamie Dover. Tiffiney Ryan and Chris Clark from SCC also provided important assistance in obtaining data and information germane to our study of program costs.
Administrators from the state and regional IDHS also made significant contributions to the research. We would like to extend our thanks to David Gruenenfelder, Marilyn Okon, Jane Radliff, Alan Summers, Paul Howell, Patricia Berndt, Jim Clark, Brenda Evans, Marcia Fair, Ken George, and Kathy Rushing. We also much appreciate the involvement of the many IDHS caseworkers who took time to meet with us and share their insights. In addition, Diane Darnell from the state IDHS office provided important assistance in obtaining administrative records data for the impact analyses.
A profound thank you is also extended to the 630 members of the research sample— Future Steps program participants and control group members alike—the great majority of whom took the time to respond to the evaluation’s survey and, in some cases, also participated in focus groups. These individuals openly shared their experiences and described issues they faced in working and overcoming challenges. The experiences and opinions they shared greatly enhanced our understanding of the program and its rural context.
In addition, the authors would like to thank Michael Dubinsky, Karl Koerper, James Dolson, Naomi Goldstein, Nancye Campbell, and Peter Germanis at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and Howard Rolston, formerly of DHHS/ACF, for support of the evaluation and helpful feedback during its various stages.
Our subcontractors on this evaluation, Decision Information Resources, Inc. (DIR) and the Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI), played important roles. Pam Wells and Eleanor Tongee of DIR provided leadership and management support to the field interviewing component of the follow-up survey. RUPRI informed the evaluation by providing useful information on rural issues and challenges and suggesting possible programs to include in the evaluation. Consultants Greg Duncan from Northwestern University and Bruce Weber from Oregon State University provided formative feedback on the development of the survey instrument.
Many staff at Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. (MPR) played important roles in the completion of the evaluation and preparation of this report. Anne Gordon provided critical advice and comments on the report’s content. In addition, Anu Rangarajan and Alan Hershey offered expert guidance and insights throughout much of the evaluation. Stuart Kerachsky also provided expertise and constructive insights during early phases of the evaluation. In addition, Shannon Phillips provided valuable analysis and programming support. Brian Roff and Annalee Kelly played critical roles in managing the survey data collection processes, and Jackie Donath and Cindy Steenstra played important roles in supervising survey interviewing staff and performing other survey data collection tasks. A small corps of experienced MPR interviewers skillfully administered the survey. Likewise, an experienced group of DIR field interviewers located sample members for the survey. In addition, Jason Markesich helped develop the focus group protocol and skillfully coordinated the recruitment of focus group participants. Linda Gentzik, Eric French, and Andrew Frost offered critical systems analysis and data programming support. Finally, Patricia Ciaccio carefully edited the report, and Linda Heath provided outstanding production support.
The authors gratefully acknowledge these many contributions and accept sole responsibility for any errors or omissions in this report. The views expressed in the report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the policies of the Administration for Children and Families or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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