Book Description

In the seven years since Minnesota's version of federal welfare reform took effect statewide, more than 50 research studies have considered one central question: How well has Minnesota's welfare-to-work system succeeded? This report reviews the research conducted on the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP), and finds that the research generally supports the following: (1) MFIP has been most successful in helping suburban or rural parents who have more education, few personal challenges, older children, better access to reliable transportation, and other strengths; (2) Although MFIP is helping many parents find work, the jobs tend to offer low wages, few benefits, little opportunity for wage growth, and/or only part-time work; (3) MFIP has been least successful in helping parents who have significant health impairments, learning disabilities or low IQ, or children with significant health impairments to find jobs and leave MFIP; and (4) American Indian and African American welfare participants do not succeed as well in MFIP as immigrant or other racial groups. The report concludes that major challenges face Minnesota's low-income families, policy-makers, and all Minnesotans as we aim to help welfare parents support their families through work. [Report also prepared for the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, School of Social Work (CASCW).].