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In response to the passage of the Personal Responsibility Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) and its lead cash assistance program Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), states have taken unique and divergent approaches to welfare policy implementation. One popular approach to workfare delivery, known as privatization, involves contracting with non-profit and for-profit entities operating within the private sector. The General Accounting Office reports that nearly every state is privatizing TANF services to some degree through third-party contracts, but very little is understood about why variation in contracting exists and the ramifications for the program outcomes of welfare recipients. This dissertation initially explores the possible factors that influence welfare privatization decisions. Ordinary least squares regression estimations suggest that contracting patterns are significantly associated with levels of fiscal capacity, urbanization, African American caseloads, and non-profit presence. Secondly, this dissertation examines the potential ramifications of privatization on the TANF program outputs and outcomes of individual welfare clients. After exploring state-level patterns in privatization and performance, I estimate multilevel models that simultaneously incorporate both individual-level and contextual-level variables providing the discipline with the clearest picture of how welfare clients are fairing under various administrative environments. The results of the multi-level analysis favor the null hypothesis as the majority of privatization coefficients are statistically insignificant, indicating minimal direct ownership effects on the quality of TANF outcomes. That being said, there is inconsistent yet persistent evidence emerging from both the state-level and multi-level analyses suggesting that non-profit welfare delivery induces superior TANF work participation rates and employment outcomes. Privatizing welfare provision is not a panacea in that TANF outcomes are seldom improved under profit-seeking or non-profit arrangements, but an unwavering commitment to social missions and assisting the poor could put non-profits in a relatively superior position to transform welfare recipients into self-sufficient, fully employed members of society.

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The purpose of this study was to explore the incentives and barriers perceived by low-income women of child-bearing age related to their participation in nutrition education programs. The specific programs of concern in this study are the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) and the Food Stamp Nutrition Education (FSNE) program. This qualitative study sought to hear the voices of the women so that nutrition programs can be made more successful in reaching this population. Personal interviews were conducted with 23 women in their homes or appropriate local sites, and transcripts were analyzed to identify categories and themes. People of low socioeconomic status and those with the least education have higher rates of obesity and overweight and suffer disproportionately from poor health. Women receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) also receive Medicaid. Medicaid costs have escalated due to the obesity rate, which is currently estimated at 64% of the adult population. In addition, 30% of American children are experiencing obesity or are overweight. It is important for parents to understand the causes of obesity and the effects of the chronic diseases related to obesity. Prevention programs are more cost effective than medical treatment of the diseases associated with obesity, and proper nutrition can reduce the incidence of chronic diseases. Findings of this study suggest that isolation is the main impediment to participating in nutrition education programs. Missing from the interviewed women's circumstances are social capital, human capital, and economic capital. Social capital relates to the connections and relationships that are important in life. Human capital involves the knowledge and skills acquired through life experiences. Economic capital refers to individual wealth or economic resources available to an individual or community. Nutrition education programs should be refined to incorporate opportunities for socialization that will develop trust and reciprocity, as well as nutrition knowledge. Based on the results of this study, Virginia Cooperative Extension programs will be adapted to incorporate weight control and cooking classes with nutritious recipes. The learning environment will be safe, learner-centered, and fun. New marketing tools that are more appealing to the prospective clients will be developed. / Ed. D.