Partners / Rural Welfare Reform Project
Goals

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of welfare reform on people and communities in the Appalachian region of Ohio. All 29 Appalachian counties are included in the general research and four "showcase" counties have been chosen for more thorough study. The "showcase" counties (Athens, Meigs, Vinton, Washington) have similar poverty levels but vary in terms of resources for assisting welfare recipients with finding jobs and providing assistance in transition. This multi-year study utilizes statistics and primary data from focus groups, surveys, and in-depth interviews with Department of Human Services (DHS) directors, employers, human service agency personnel, recipients, and county commissioners. The main goal of this research is to ascertain the effects of rural welfare reform in order to assist policy makers.

Research Questions
The overarching question of this research is: "What impacts will poor rural counties experience from implementing the workforce preparation and retention aspects of welfare?" We are interested in the impacts on the three most affected groups: those entities charged with designing and implementing social welfare reform, prospective employers of welfare recipients, and the recipients themselves. Several areas have been explored including: How does the counties' capacity to provide jobs, create jobs, and facilitate the transition from welfare to work affect the implementation and impact of welfare reform in rural areas? How do the lives of the rural poor change as a result of implementing the workforce preparation and retention aspects of welfare reform? What is the impact of welfare reform on the income generating strategies of working and non-working recipients?

Rural Welfare Reform Project
Goals | Procedures | Data | Papers | People