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VIRGINIA
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The Virginia Closed Case Study: Experiences of Virginia Families One Year After Leaving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families |
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Date of Report: |
November 1999 (http://www.nvgc.vt.edu/ippr/closedcase/executivesummary.html) |
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Methodology: |
Telephone survey and administrative data: 779 former recipients. (69% Response Rate) |
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Study Timeframe: |
Study included whose cases were closed approximately one year prior to interview. |
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Investigator (Contact): |
Institute for Public Policy Research at Virginia Tech
(Carole Kuhns, ckuhns@vt.edu) |
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Study Objective: |
Study former recipients whose cases closed for reasons other than time limits. |
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Comparable State Findings: |
Former Recipients |
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Percent employed at time of interview |
55% |
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Mean hourly wage of those employed |
$7.10 |
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Percent receiving Food Stamps/Medicaid (children) at time of interview |
54% / 55% |
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Percent who say life is "better" after welfare |
46% |
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Percent receiving cash assistance in first year since exit |
17% |
Employment & Income
- 53% of leavers who were employed at some time since leaving cash assistance quit their jobs. The most common reasons were took another job (20%), lack of flexibility in their work schedule/ hours (16%), and child care problems (11%).
- 28% of leavers who had not worked since leaving TANF reported a health problem as their main reason for not working. Another 9% reported caring for a sick/disabled relative.
- Almost half of all leavers (49%) were working more than 75% of the time between the time of exit and the time of the interview.
- Food Stamps and child support were common sources of unearned income for all leavers. 44% of employed leavers and 62% of unemployed leavers utilized Food Stamps while 30% of employed leavers and 33% of unemployed leavers collected child support. On average, unemployed leavers collected $116 per month in Food Stamps and $64 per month in child support compared to $95 and $52 per month for their employed counterparts.
Other Supports (at time of interview)
- Of those families eligible for child care subsidies (51% of the total sample), 30% participated in the subsidy program. This group spent an average of $130 per month in out-of-pocket child care costs compared to $232 per month for those with paid child care and no subsidy.
- Although only 17% were receiving cash assistance at the time of the interview, 31% of leavers had reapplied for TANF at some time after case closure. The most common reasons were being fired/laid off (19%) and quitting their job (9%).
- 30% of respondents received child support from a non-custodial parent, averaging $191 per month.
Family Well-Being
- 52% of children of the respondents have no contact with their non-custodial parent. This group of children is less likely to receive cash/other assistance (not child support) from their non-custodial parent. For example, 79% of children who have regular contact with their non-custodial parent received non-financial assistance compared to 66% of children with no contact with their non-custodial parent.
- Although 72% of respondents had incomes below the poverty level, the average income increased by 40% since exit.
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