RAND's Statewide CalWORKs Evaluation: An Overview

Publication Date: January 1998

Publisher: RAND Corporation

Author(s): Paul Steinberg; Elaine Reardon; Jacob Alex Klerman

Research Area: Labor; Social conditions

Type: Brief

Coverage: California

Abstract:

Pursuant to legislation passed in August 1977, California is now in the process of reforming its welfare system. The new program, CalWORKs (California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids), is a "work first" program that provides support services to move recipients from welfare to work and self-sufficiency, along with limiting the receipt of cash aid to 60 months in a recipient's lifetime. The reform legislation included a requirement for an independent evaluation of the new program. After an open and competitive bidding process, RAND was awarded that evaluation contract. This Documented Briefing provides an overview of the plans for the evaluation.