Initial State Evaluation: The JOBS Program in Texas Final Report

The Texas JOBS evaluation began in December 1988 and continued through November 1989. The work took place in two phases. In the first phase (through mid-April 1989), planning documents were prepared to support DHS in its shortened planning for the Texas legislative and appropriations process. Texas, unlike most states, was compelled to shorten its decision making in order to secure state appropriations for welfare reform from the regularly scheduled session of the Texas legislature ending in June 1989. Unfortunately, this shortened timeline also meant that most critical program decisions had to be finalized 6 months before the issuance of final federal regulations for the JOBS program. Phase One products included planning and issues papers concerning the size and characteristics of potential participant populations in AFDC-Basic and the AFDC Unemployed Parent (UP) programs, the demand for services, and others. Phase Two research resulted in additional estimates of current and projected Basic and UP participants, critical reviews of the current DHS welfare employment initiative -REFOCUS which began as a pilot effort in three regions in April 1988 and will be operating statewide by the end of 1989 -- labor market demand analyses, recommendations for JOBS county selection, and others.Texas Department of Human ServicesRay Marshall Center for the Study of Human Resource