Berkeley Policy Associates is leading a team of researchers to evaluate the implementation of welfare time limits in California and the impact of time limits on families receiving TANF cash assistance. This three-year study is sponsored by the Welfare Policy Research Project of the University of California Office of the President and the Hewlett Foundation. BPA is partnering with MDRC and the Survey Research Center at the University of California at Berkeley to conduct the study. Four key research activities will inform the study: (1) two waves of recipient surveys in six California counties; (2) analysis of statewide administrative data; (3) two rounds of in-depth field research conducted in six California counties; and (4) two waves of an implementation surveys to all 58 California counties. Key research questions include: (1) What do CalWORKs recipients understand about the time limit? (2) How are counties preparing for and implementing the time limit? (3) What are the characteristics of families that reach the time limit and how do they compare with those who do not? (4) How do family well-being and economic outcomes for families who exhaust their time on assistance compare to those who leave prior to reaching their time limit? (5) How has imposing the time limit impacted the CalWORKs caseload? and (6) Does the time limit impact child welfare indicators (e.g., child abuse or neglect, foster care?

Publications:

Working Against the Clock: The Implementation of Welfare Time Limits in California [Detailed Research Findings] (Feb, 2006)
The first of several reports aimed at fully understanding the effects of the 60-month CalWORKS time limits. http://wprp.ucop.edu/PMRBPAFEB2006.pdf

Working Against the Clock: Implementing Five-Year Welfare Time Limits in California [Brief] (Jun, 2004)
Summarizes early study findings which examine the implementation and effects of the 60-month welfare time limits in California families.