February 19, 2002 - Study shows Kansas is doing a good job in helping families transition from welfare to work.

Secretary Janet Schalansky, Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, announced today that she is quite pleased with findings from the Kansas Leavers Study: A Report on Kansas Families Who Have Left TANF Cash Assistance. The study was conducted to learn more about families leaving the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, their employment experiences, and family well-being.

The study found that Kansas outcomes matched or exceeded those of all other states that were examined. The participants did particularly well in the areas of employer-sponsored benefits, continuation of Medicaid, and access to Supplemental Security Income (SSI). Kansas case managers also received a high customer satisfaction ranking.

By using a stratified random sample, 2,000 former TANF households were selected for the study, which was administered by the Institute for Social and Economic Development (ISED) of Coralville, Iowa. With funding support from the Kansas Legislature, SRS awarded ISED the contract to examine the following areas:

• characteristics of survey respondents;

• employment experiences;

• use of Food Assistance, Child Care Assistance, Medicaid, and TANF following case closure;

• use of other support services such as HealthWave, the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP), subsidized housing, and other community agencies;

• family situation and impact on children; and

• assessment of TANF services and supports.

SED attempted to contact each household by telephone and achieved a statistically valid response rate of 70 percent. Of the 1,480 respondents, 959 (68%) had not returned to TANF, and 449 (32%) returned to the program after the initial case closure. Key findings from the study include:

• Most respondents rely on their own vehicles for transportation, but often find their vehicles to be unreliable;

• Those who have not returned to TANF assistance following case closure often have other family income;

• The availability of child care remains a barrier to employment; and

• The majority of respondents feel SRS workers treated them courteously.

The outcomes achieved by the Kansas TANF participants were compared to participant outcomes in 14 other states, where comprehensive TANF leaver studies have been conducted. Items compared included employment rates; average hourly wages; the availability of employee benefits, such as employer sponsored health insurance and paid sick and vacation leave; the continued use of the Medicaid and Food Assistance Programs after TANF case closure; use of other assistance programs; homelessness; utility disconnections; food shortages; and evictions. The study also measured customer satisfaction.

"This study confirms that Kansas can be proud of the job it is doing in meeting welfare reform goals," Secretary Schalansky said. "However, there is always room for improvement."

SRS is assessing the implications this study has for improving the way Kansas assists families in making the important transition from welfare to work. SRS has helped over 36,000 families find jobs and leave assistance, since the Welfare Reform Act of 1996. The study will also be used in formulating the State's strategies related to re-authorization of the federal TANF Program that will be debated in Congress this year.

For more information and a look at the Kansas Leavers Study, please visit the SRS website at www.srskansas.org. The study can be found under Reports, within the Publications section of the web.