Welfare reform has been an issue in America for many years. The need to make positive changes to the welfare system escalated to the point that federal legislation was passed in 1996. This legislation mandated that each state establish welfare-to-work programs and require that welfare recipients begin to work or face loss of benefits after two years. Virginia responded to this mandate through its Virginia Initiative for Employment Not Welfare (VIEW), which requires welfare recipients to seek work opportunities. The purpose of this study was to examine employers' perceptions of factors contributing to their participation in VIEW and factors they felt affected welfare recipients' entry into the workforce. The theoretical framework of this study is based on two theories of organizational change: are the innovations and diffusion of innovations models. Interviews were conducted with twelve people who were in decision making roles in businesses that participated in VIEW. The following research questions were used to guide this study: 1. What factors encourage employers to participate in Virginia's Initiative for Employment Not Welfare (VIEW)? Interviews with employers were recorded, transcribed, and coded using the Nud.ist qualitative research software program. Twelve factors were identified: mass media, social services agencies, the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC), other information sources, employability skills, qualifications, work experience, education and training, child care, lack of funds for transportation and appropriate clothing, welfare policies, and a support system or monitoring plan. The first four factors affected employers' decisions to be a part of VIEW; the others were factors they felt affected workforce entry. This study confirms portions of the review of literature relative to research regarding factors that affect the entry of welfare recipients into the workforce. Two major conclusions emerged from the findings: the majority of employers interviewed suggested that welfare policies and child care significantly affected the employment of welfare recipients. Further study is needed to determine what changes are needed in welfare policies and preparation for those entering the workforce. Research should involve both welfare recipients, employers, social services personnel, and job training providers. / Ph. D.

The 1996 welfare reforms were part of a bipartisan consensus led by Democratic President Bill Clinton and a Republican Congress about the downfalls of the existing United States welfare system. Under these reforms, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), which was an entitlement program that had been in effect since 1935. Similar to AFDC, TANF intended to serve as a safety net that provides cash assistance to needy families, but it also aimed to reduce government dependence by attempting to instill values in welfare recipients through stricter work requirements and eligibility criteria. The goals of TANF included promoting job preparation, reducing the incidence of births to unmarried mothers, and increasing the formation and maintenance of two-parent families. Many of TANF’s goals were driven by the theory that family structure is important for economic and social stability, but states have a lot of freedom in how they choose to distribute TANF funding and implement the program. This research examined TANF funding allocation and social outcome differences between predominantly Republican (red) and predominantly Democratic (blue) states in order analyze TANF’s ability to reduce out-of-wedlock birth rates and divorce rates. There was limited, but interesting, evidence that there were differences in how red and blue states were funding TANF programs. On average, red states allocated greater proportions of their funding to categories that were inconsistent with the purposes of TANF than blue states. Most states provided very little funding to goals associated with family structure. So, while out-of-wedlock birth rates and divorce rates were different in 1996 (pre-TANF) and 2016 (post-TANF), these changes are unlikely associated with the program. Similarly, blue states had significantly less divorces than red states, but it is unlikely that TANF is responsible for this difference.

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published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Virtually every child welfare system has been harshly criticized for the way it treats abused and neglected children. The system has been so problematic for some states that lawsuits have been filed against them. To remedy these problems, system-wide policy reform has received a good deal of attention, but this approach lacks the empirical research needed to move the field forward to better serve children and families. This study answers the question: Does child welfare reform via litigation produce long-term effects on child outcomes and state child welfare budgets after the case is closed? The study employed mixed research methods. The qualitative portion relies on case studies of four states that were developed through a series of in-depth interviews and an extensive historical document analysis. For each state, the study examined 1) the association between litigation and state funding for child welfare systems, 2) examined the relationship between litigation and child outcomes over time, and 3) studied key stakeholders’ perceptions of litigation’s impact on budget and child outcomes. The quantitative portion of the study utilized outcome data that are available for all 50 states to compare states that have undergone comprehensive class action litigation with those that have not. Case studies of 4 states (Alabama, Kansas, New Mexico, Utah) included a qualitative analysis and five major themes emerged: leadership, policy interventions (e.g. budget, data monitoring, legislation), direct interventions (e.g. caseload decreases, trainings, etc.) , settlement agreement characteristics and litigation’s value as a method of reform. A method called Qualitative Comparative Analysis was used to identify themes and subthemes identified from the qualitative analysis that play instrumental roles in impacting outcomes. Findings indicate that litigation appears to positively impact child welfare systems functioning during the lawsuit, but it is difficult to see how these systems changes impact outcomes. Many reforms are difficult to sustain due to their reliance on increased budgets which decline post litigation. Reform is also reliant on supportive leadership, which is subject to frequent turnover. Study participants viewed litigation as effective at garnering attention for problems in the child welfare system, but at a very high cost (e.g. financial, length of time, adversarial environment, etc.). Decreased caseload, increased budget, and effective data collection systems were found to be instrumental in positively impacting outcomes. A faster, less costly and less adversarial method of reform is needed. / text

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