A comprehensive and multi-faceted research evaluation, monitoring and assessment of Louisiana's Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program activities to determine the effectiveness of program operations, impact of the revised mission and measures of performance on service delivery, and effectiveness and impact of various TANF initiatives on participant outcomes. The first two years of the evaluation consisted of four components: (1) a caseload trends and expenditures study; (2) an implementation study of the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP) and FIND Work programs; (3) an employment outcomes study; and (4) an implementation study of TANF-funded initiatives in several state agencies.

The third year evaluation shall built on the findings of years one and two and examined changes or variances that occurred during the last year. This evaluation research included the following three components:

• Evaluation of STEP Program Implementation;
• Evaluation of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative; and
  
• Evaluation of TANF Initiatives.
  

The evaluation report includes recommendations for policy and programming improvements that are based on the evaluation for each component.

Publications:

Louisiana Department of Education: After School for All Program (Sep, 2004) (PDF:509KB)
[Property of the State of Louisiana/Division of Administration]
The After School for All (ASFA) TANF Initiative calls for public schools, faith-based and other community-based organizations, private, and non-profit organizations to provide academic, enrichment and recreational activities for elementary, middle, and high school students before and after school and during the summer. Based on data collected from a program staff survey, this year's evaluation is a continuation from 2002 and 2003 studies and focuses on program characteristics and student outcomes.

Louisiana Supreme Court: Drug Court Program (Sep, 2004) (PDF:748KB)
[Property of the State of Louisiana/Division of Administration]
This year's evaluation of the Drug Court Program focused on understanding the implementation of recent statewide program changes and understanding the impact on participants' employment outcomes. In this report, we follow up on programmatic changes studied in the Year 2 Report, documenting how the changes have been implemented to date and how they are affecting the programs. We also extend our analysis of employment outcomes by examining longer-term results using data from more courts.

Department of Public Safety and Corrections: Post-Release Skills Program (Sep, 2004) (PDF:301KB)
[Property of the State of Louisiana/Division of Administration]
The Post-Release Skills Program is a re-entry program to provide services to recently released inmates from state prisons and parish jails who are parents of minor children. Building on the previous evaluation efforts, this year's evaluation was designed to document the challenges and progress in implementation with focus on differences by the provider type, and to gauge participant outcomes in terms of employment and recidivism. The findings presented in this report are based on program information collected from sites.

Louisiana Community and Technical College System Department of Public Safety and Corrections: Pre-Release Skills Program (Sep, 2004) (PDF:190KB)
[Property of the State of Louisiana/Division of Administration]
Presents findings of the evaluation of the TANF Initiatives Pre-Release program. The information presented is based on a combination of data sources and includes a description of the Pre-Release program, programmatic changes/enhancements implemented during this latest year of operation, and descriptions of program participants and the services provided to them through the program. The study concludes with an examination of employment, recidivism, and education outcomes of program participants.

Department of Health and Hospitals, Office for Addictive Disorders: Substance Abuse Assessment and Treatment (Sep, 2004) (PDF:262KB)
[Property of the State of Louisiana/Division of Administration]
Presents findings of our evaluation of the OAD TANF Initiatives and includes an analysis of data obtained from a combination of sources, and reviews national data on program completion rates and time-in-program for residential treatment services to TANF-eligible women and their children.

Governor's Office of the Workforce Commission Louisiana Community and Technical College System: Tuition Services and Skills Upgrade Programs (Sep, 2004) (PDF:530KB)
[Property of the State of Louisiana/Division of Administration]
Presents findings from our evaluation of the Workforce Commission's Workplace Basic and Technical Skills Training and Retention Services Program during its third year of operation. Includes a discussion of program features and employment, educational, and workplace literacy outcomes for all students who have participated in the program since its inception in SFY 2001.

Evaluation of the State of Louisiana TANF Initiatives Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, Final Report (Sep, 2004) (PDF:906KB)
[Property of the State of Louisiana/Division of Administration]
This report presents findings from our evaluation of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) program administered by DOE. It provides an overview of the TPP program, including the history of the teen pregnancy problem in Louisiana and of the TPP program under the TANF Initiatives grant. It also reports on implementation findings under the administration of DOE, and includes a description of the TPP contractors, program participants, services, and self-reported outcomes for the program.

Mapping of Social Indicators and 2003 TANF Initiatives Allocations, State of Louisiana TANF Evaluation Supplemental Report (Feb, 2003) (PDF:1550KB)
[Property of the State of Louisiana/Division of Administration]
Provides information, primarily in the form of state and parish maps, to allow policymakers to assess whether the allocation of TANF Initiatives program funds is being directed effectively to parishes with relatively high concentrations of poor families.

Volume 2: TANF Initiatives Implementation Study (Oct, 2002) (PDF:822KB)
[Property of the State of Louisiana/Division of Administration]
Presents findings from BPA's evaluation of several key TANF Initiatives programs, including the After School Programs, Housing Pilot projects, and programs administered by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, the Department of Health and Hospitals, the Workforce Commission, and the Office of Women's Services. A key theme of this component was assessment of the level of interagency coordination in the development and provision of services for low-income families.

Volume 1: Evaluation of the FITAP and FIND Work Programs (Oct, 2002) (PDF:390KB)
[Property of the State of Louisiana/Division of Administration]
Presents findings from BPA's 2002 evaluation of Louisiana's two principal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs: the Family Independence Temporary Assistance Program (FITAP), which provides cash assistance to low-income families; and the Family Independence Work Program (FIND Work), an employment and training program for adult FITAP recipients.

Interim Report (Apr, 2002) (PDF:643KB)
[Property of the State of Louisiana/Division of Administration]
First interim report of BPA's ongoing evaluation of Louisiana TANF programs in order to provide policy makers with initial findings on caseload trends and characteristics of participants in the FITAP and FIND Work programs. Includes an overview of FITAP and FIND Work program rules, a description of FITAP caseloads, key characteristics of adult FITAP recipients, a discussion of work activity participation among FIND Work participants, and examination of initial employment outcomes.