Tuesday, May 27, 2008

4–7 p.m.

Registration and Information Desk Open

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

8 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Registration and Information Desk Open

8 a.m.–5:30 p.m.

Floor Demonstration of Online Toolkit for TANF Administrators

• The Urban Partnerships Initiative
• Al M. Fleming, Office of Family Assistance/Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
• Jeanette Hercik, ICF International
• Christina Techico, ICF International

9–9:15 a.m.

Welcome and Opening Remarks

Naomi Goldstein
Director, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE)/ACF

9:15–10:45 a.m.

Plenary I: New Findings from ACF’s Employment Retention
and Advancement and Hard-to-Employ Evaluations

Moderator: Karl Koerper, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation/ACF

Effectiveness of Telephone Care Management in Monitoring Medicaid Recipients with Depression: A Randomized Control Trial

• Charles Michalopoulos Senior Fellow, Welfare and Barriers to Employment Policy Area, MDRC

Promoting Stable Employment and Wage Progression: Findings from the Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) Project

• Gayle Hamilton Senior Fellow, MDRC

Alternative Approaches to Assisting Hard-to-Employ TANF Recipients: Early Findings from the Philadelphia Hard-to-Employ Demonstration

• Dan Bloom Director, Welfare and Barriers to Employment Policy Area, MDRC

10:45–11 a.m.

Break

11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

Meeting Work Participation Rates Under the Deficit Reduction Act

Moderator: Tim Baker, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation/ACF

• A Study of TANF Diversion Policies and Practices
  • Linda C. Rosenberg, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
• Using Work Experience To Engage TANF Recipients in Work Activities
  • Michelle Derr, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
• Case Studies of States’ Experiences Implementing Policy and Programmatic Changes To Meet the TANF Work Participation Requirements
  • Jacqueline Kauff, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

Determinants of TANF Caseload and Client Activity

Moderator: Mark Fucello, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation/ACF

• Increasing Work Participation Rates: The Role of Policies
  • Caroline Danielson, Public Policy Institute of California
• Do Cash Diversion Programs Prevent Future Welfare Receipt?
  • Andrea Hetling, Rutgers University
• Sanctions: Multi-level Analysis of Benefit Reductions and Case Closures
  • Shannon Monnat, State University of New York - Albany

Examining Child Care

Moderator: Ivelisse Martinez-Beck, Office of Planning, Concourse Level Research and Evaluation /ACF

• Child Care Subsidies in Urban and Rural Areas
  • Kendall Swenson, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation/HHS
• Effects of Child Care Subsidy Experiments in Illinois and Washington
  • Erika Lundquist, MDRC
• Effects of a Curriculum Intervention on Family Child Care Programs in Massachusetts
  • Barbara Goodson, Abt Associates, Inc.

Faith-Based and Community Organizations and the Safety Net

Moderator: Alana Landey, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation/HHS

• A Study of Religiosity and Effectiveness Among Urban Substance Abuse Treatment Programs
  • Thomas Gais, Rockefeller Institute
• Avenues to Self-Sufficiency: The Accessibility and Stability of Faith-Based and Community-Based Service Organizations in Urban and Rural America
  • Scott Allard, Brown University
• The Safety Net as a Social Network
  • David Reingold, Indiana University – Bloomington

12:30–2 p.m.

Lunch (on your own)

2–3:30 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

Helping TANF Recipients with Disabilities Enter and Sustain Employment

Moderator: LaDonna Pavetti, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

• Promising Practices for Assisting TANF Recipients Living With Disabilities Enter and Sustain Employment
  • Emily Sama Martin, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
• Providing Work Opportunities for TANF Recipients with Disabilities
  • Jacqueline Kauff, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
• Providing Specialized Personal and Work Supports for TANF Recipients Living With a Disability
  • Michelle Derr, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

Sanctions and Welfare Reform: The Florida Project

Moderator: Michael Dubinsky, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation /ACF

• Sanctions as a Policy Tool in the Transformed System of Welfare-to-Work
  • Sanford Schram, Bryn Mawr College
• Evaluating Sanctions Outcomes: Subjective Caseworker Assessments and Objective Impacts
  • Richard Fording, University of Kentucky
• Deciding To Discipline: A Multi-Method Study of Race, Choice, and Punishment at the Frontlines of Welfare Reform
  • Linda Houser, Bryn Mawr College

Vulnerable Youth and Young Adults

Moderator: Laura Radel, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation/HHS

• The Mental Health of Vulnerable Youth and Their Transition to Adulthood: Examining the Role of the Child Welfare, Juvenile Justice, and Runaway/Homeless Systems
  • Elizabeth Hair, Child Trends
• Coming of Age: Employment Outcomes for Youth Who Age Out of Foster Care
  • Jennifer Macomber, The Urban Institute
• Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth
  • Mark Courtney, University of Washington – Seattle

Data, Measurement, and Methods

Moderator: Reuben Snipper, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation/HHS

• Understanding Under-Reporting of Program Participation
  • Jacob Klerman, Abt Associates, Inc.
• Known Bias: Is All Measurement Error the Same?
  • Lindsay Monte, Northwestern University
• Evaluating Abstinence Education: Methodology: Dosage Effects, and Causal Mediators
  • Stan Weed, Institute for Research and Evaluation

3:30–3:45 p.m.

Break

3:45–5:15 p.m.

Plenary II: New York City’s New Anti-Poverty Agenda

Moderator: Naomi Goldstein, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation /ACF

Increasing Opportunity and Reducing Poverty in New York City

• Veronica White, Executive Director, Center for Economic Opportunity, Mayor’s Office, City of New York
• Kristin Morse, Director of Program Development and Evaluation, Center for Economic Opportunity, Mayor’s Office, City of New York

Evaluation of the Center for Economic Opportunity’s Initiatives To Reduce Poverty in New York City

• Debra Rog, Associate Director, Westat Vice President, The Rockville Institute

Testing a Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program in New York City

• James Riccio, Director, Low-Wage Workers and Communities Policy, MDRC

Discussant

• Howard Rolston, Principal Associate, Abt Associates, Inc.

Thursday, May 29, 2008

8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Registration and Information Desk Open

8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Floor Demonstration of Online Tools

• The Welfare Rules Database
• The Marriage Calculator
• Gretchen Rowe, The Urban Institute
• Mary Murphy, The Urban Institute

9–10:30 a.m.

Plenary III: Engaging Non-Custodial Parents

Moderator: Myles Schlank, Office of Child Support Enforcement/ACF

• Effective Work Mandates for Low-Income Non-Custodial Parents: Applying the Lessons of Welfare Reform
  • Kammi Siemens, Non-Custodial Parent Choices Project Program Coordinator, Texas Office of the Attorney General
  • William Minor, Policy Analyst, Texas Workforce Commission
  • Dan Schroeder, Research Associate, Ray Marshall Center for the Study of Human Resources, University of Texas – Austin
• Discussant
  • Lawrence Mead, Professor, Department of Politics, New York University

10:30–10:45 a.m.

Break

10:45 a.m. –12:15 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

Disability, Mental Health, and TANF

Moderator: Girley Wright, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation/ACF

• An Analysis of Barriers to Employment and Job Search Among TANF Recipients: A Case Study
  • Elisha Smith, Princeton University
• Hidden Wounds: Using In-Depth Assessments of Disabled Long-Term TANF Recipients to Inform Policy and Programs
  • Rachel Kirzner, Philadelphia Health Management Corporation
  • Joel Tumberello, Philadelphia Health Management Corporation
• The Mental Health Benefits of Work: Do They Apply to Women on Welfare?
  • Denise Zabkiewicz, Alcohol Research Group

Employment in the Low-Wage Labor Market

Moderator: Alan Yaffe, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation/ACF

• Understanding the Demand-Side of the Low-Wage Labor Market
  • Greg Acs, The Urban Institute
• Lost Jobs and Health Insurance: The Impact of Employment Volatility on Health Insurance Coverage
  • Fredrik Andersson, Cornell University and U.S. Census Bureau
• Do High Effective Marginal Tax Rates Punish Low-Income Workers?
  • Jennifer Romich, University of Washington

Child Support and Child Welfare

Moderator: Angela Ingram-Jones, Office of Child Support Enforcement/ACF

• Potential Impact of Increased Child Support Distribution to Current and former Welfare Families
  • Laura Wheaton, The Urban Institute
• The Impact of PRWORA’s Automated Information Systems on Child Support Policy Outcomes
  • Jeongsoo Kim, University of California-Berkeley
• More About the Dads: Exploring Associations Between Nonresident Father Involvement and Child Welfare Case Outcomes
  • Karin Malm, Child Trends, Inc.

Changes in the Food Stamp Program

Moderator: Bob Dalrymple, Food and Nutrition Services/USDA

• Modernizing Human Service Programs: A Case Study of the Food Stamp Program in Florida
• Christine Kissmer, Food and Nutrition Services, USDA
• Modernization of Public Assistance in Florida:
  • Scott Cody, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
  • Emily Sama Martin, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
• Food Stamp Use by Legal Immigrants: Before and After the 2003 Restorations
  • Randall Capps, The Urban Institute
  • Everett Henderson, The Urban Institute
  • Kenneth Finegold, The Urban Institute

12:15–1:45 p.m.

Lunch (on your own)

1:45–3:15 p.m.

Breakout Sessions

Performance-Based Contracting and Caseload Dynamics

Moderator: Seth Chamberlain, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation /ACF

• Performance-Based Contracting in Tennessee: An Examination of Employment Outcomes by Contractor Zone
  • Donald Bruce, University of Tennessee – Knoxville
• Evaluating the Performance of Performance Contracting in a TANF Programs
  • Youseok Choi, University of Wisconsin - Madison
• Modeling the TANF Caseload in Colorado
  • Mike Mueller, The Lewin Group
  • Burt Barnow, Johns Hopkins University

Career Advancement in the Low-Wage Labor Market

Moderator: Laura Chadwick, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation/HHS

• Temporary Help Agencies and the Advancement Prospects of Low Earners
  • Fredrik Andersson, Cornell University and U.S. Census Bureau
  • Julia Lane, National Science Foundation
• Building Front-Line Staff Capacity to Deliver Advancement-Focused Employment Services
  • Caroline Schultz, MDRC

Caseworkers and Clients under TANF

Moderator: Canta Pian, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation/HHS

• Forging Caseworkers: How Welfare Caseworkers Develop Their Workplace Identities and Views of the Poor
  • Zachary Oberfield, University of Wisconsin – Madison
• Organization and Exclusion: An Inquiry into Bureaucratic Proceduralism
  • Evelyn Brodkin, University of Chicago
• Understanding Public Assistance Experiences after Welfare Reform: Evidence from Qualitative Data
  • Kristin Seefeldt, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

Influencing the Next Generation of Employment and Self-Sufficiency Demonstration Projects: A Roundtable Discussion

• David Fein, Abt Associates, Inc.
• Howard Rolston, Abt Associates, Inc.
• Brendan Kelly, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, ACF

3:15–3:30 p.m.

Break

3:30–5 p.m.

Plenary IV: Strengthening University-State Program and Research
Partnerships

Moderator: Nancye Campbell, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation/ACF

The Benefits and Costs of a Promising Home Visitation Program for Hard-to-Employ TANF Recipients

• Andrew Burwick Researcher, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.
• Marilyn Fox, Extension Educator, University of Nebraska – Lincoln Extension

Experimental TANF Initiatives in Ohio: A Bottom-Up Approach

• Anand Desai Professor, John Glenn School of Public Affairs, Ohio State University

Fostering Effective University-State Partnerships: Best Practices From Tennessee

• Donald Bruce Research Associate, Center for Business and Economic Research Professor, Department of Economics, University of Tennessee
• Kerry Mullins Director, Tennessee Department of Human Services President, National Association for Welfare Research and Statistics

Friday, May 30, 2008

8 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Registration and Information Desk Open

9–10:30 a.m.

Breakout Sessions

Studying Healthy Marriage

Moderator: Jennifer Burnszynski, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation/HHS

• Ethnographic and Survey Studies of Determinants of Healthy Marriage
  • Andy Cherlin, Johns Hopkins University
• The Role of Trust in Low-Income Mothers’ Intimate Unions
  • Linda Burton, Duke University
• Applications of Healthy Marriage and Healthy Relationship Lessons: A Longitudinal Qualitative Assessment
  • Wendy Manning, Bowling Green State University

Asset-Building Opportunities

Moderator: Jim Gatz, Office of Community Services/ACF

• Effects of Individual Development Accounts (IDAs) on Low-Income Asset-Building: Estimates from the Assets for Independence Act
  • Gregory Mills, Abt Associates, Inc.
• Fostering Low-Income Homeownership: A Longitudinal Randomized Experiment on IDAs
  • Michal Grinstein-Weiss, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
• Do Welfare and IDA Program Rules Affect Asset Holdings?
  • Signe-Mary McKernan, The Urban Institute

TANF’s Intersection with other Assistance Programs

Moderator: Susan Hauan, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation/HHS

• The Long-Term Effects of Housing Assistance on Welfare Receipt
  • C. Scott Holupka, Johns Hopkins University
• Unemployment Insurance as a Safety Net for Former TANF Recipients
  • Christopher O’Leary, Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
• The Role of Supplemental Security Income in the Lives of Former Welfare Recipients
  • Lucie Schmidt, Williams College

Hurricane Katrina and Human Services Needs

Moderator: Ann McCormick, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation/HHS

• Welfare and Human Services Programs’ Response to Hurricanes Point the Way for Future Improvements
  • Laura Heald, Government Accountability Office
• Feasibility Assessment of Studying the Consequences of Hurricane Katrina for ACF
  • Fredrica Kramer, The Urban Institute
  • Kenneth Finegold, The Urban Institute

10:30–10:45 a.m.

Break

10:45 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

Plenary V: New Directions in Assets Research and Policy

Moderator: John Tambornino, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation/ACF

Directions for Asset-building Research and Policy: Lessons from IDAs and CDAs

• Michael Sherraden, Director, Center for Social Development Youngdahl Professor of Social Development, Brown School of Social Work Washington University

12:15–12:30 p.m.

Closing Remarks

Kerry Mullins
Director, Tennessee Department of Human Services
President, National Association for Welfare Research and Statistics

12:30 p.m.

Conference Adjourns