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T RANSITIONS
A closer look at Wisconsin Works W-2 T placement

W-2 Transitions is one tier of the current welfare program in Wisconsin. This
tier is focused on the hardest to employ cases and aims to address the barriers
that result in this low employability. By doing addressing these barriers, W-2
Transitions can have great impacts on affected families that reach far beyond
just the effects of unemployment, therefore, this should be a more widely
utilized step in W-2.

Tonia Proffitt
4/13/2014

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TRANSITIONS
A closer look at Wisconsin Works W-2 T placement

Introduction
Establishing a welfare program that effectively pulls participants out of
poverty in the long term and establishes a solid financial foundation for
families going through hardships is a lofty, but important goal. With an
estimated 12.2% of Wisconsin children lived below the poverty level, it is
important that families are supported and not set up to fail when striving for
such an impressive goal, as poverty has detrimental effects on the physical,
emotional, and psychological wellbeing of these children.(Institute for
Research on Poverty).

Background
Description
Wisconsin has established a reputation for progressive thinking and policies.
It was the first state to establish unemployment insurance, the first state to
have minimum wage laws, and the first state to establish a Kindergarten
class. (All about Wisconsin) With a history of living up to the state motto,
Forward, in terms of policies it is not surprising to find that Wisconsin has
also been a pioneer in Welfare Reform. Starting in 1987, reforms emphasizing
work over welfare started taking root in the state. Each new reform paved the
way for the next one and eventually the stage was set for Wisconsins current
program, Welfare Works or W-2, which rolled out in 1997. (The lessons of W-2,
2000)

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W-2 is a multifaceted welfare program that is based on work participation

and personal responsibility. (Wisconsin works overview, 2014) Under this
program, eligible participants may be placed in to one of four paid
placements: Community Service Jobs, W-2 Transition, Caretaker of an
Infant, or At Risk Pregnancy. This analysis focuses particular attention on
the W-2 Transitions placement as it is designed to help the more complex
cases in the W-2 program. In order to evaluate this program, evidence from a
similar Wisconsin Transitions program, Transitional Jobs Demonstration
Project which provides more complete research, will be used. This program
ran from September 2010 through June 2013, with goals that hard-toemploy participants would: find unsubsidized employment upon completion
of the program, increase earnings from employment, and increase child
support payments. (Evaluation of the Transitional Jobs Demonstration
Project, 2013) While this program was not tied to W-2, the target population
served, implementation strategies, and goals are markedly similar to the W-2
Transitions program.

Research on Wisconsin Transition Programs

Who qualifies for W-2 Transition placement?
According to the Wisconsin Works website, W-2 T is reserved for those
individuals who, because of employment barriers, are unable to perform
independent, self-sustaining work. Those individuals who have permanent
employment barriers are assisted in securing federal Supplemental Security
Insurance benefits. W-2 T participants receive a monthly grant of $608. In
addition to a cash grant, W-2 T participants may be eligible for FoodShare,
Medicaid, child care assistance, and Job Access Loans. (Wisconsin works
overview, 2014) This placement is for those individuals deemed least capable
of self-sufficiency. This may be due to AODA issues, mental health related
issues (either theirs or their childrens), medical issues (either theirs or their
childrens), legal problems, homelessness, or other family related barriers.
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Have Transitional job programs worked in Wisconsin?

Research evaluating the outcomes of the 2010 to 2013 Transitional Jobs
program found that upon completion of the program 54% of the workers
secured unsubsidized work. This same research found significant increases in
earning by persons completing the program, and that the amount of child
support paid (the actual amount ordered remained unchanged) by these
individuals increased by 145%. (Evaluation of the Transitional Jobs
Demonstration Project, 2013) As these numbers show, significant
improvements can be made to job statuses of participants in transitional jobs
programs.
How do Transitional Job programs work?
These programs begin by focusing on what barriers exist for the hard-toemploy. The W-2 T program, specifically, does this by making supportive
activities, such as AODA treatment, part of their required hours. (TANF over
time: The Tale of Three Studies, 2012) By addressing immediate crises or
barriers, such as childcare, medical issues, and/or abusive situations in
conjunction with bolstering work history through a stepping ladder system
that exposes participants to work situations from skills training to subsidized
work (including treatment and education) to finally unsubsidized work,
Transitional Jobs programs meet immediate needs and create a platform for
success in long-term goals.

Applying a Family Impact Lens to Transitional Jobs Programs

To be considered eligible for Transitional Jobs, or W-2, an individual needs to
living below the national poverty level and have a dependent. Just these
requirements alone, tell us that this policy affects families. Families living in
poverty are at higher risk for abuse, AODA issues, substandard housing,
chronic stress, mental health concerns, and chronic illness. Children living in

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poverty are less likely to do well in school or to graduate. (Children, Youth,

and Families & Socioeconomic Status)

Family Impact Analysis

Family Impact Analysis can be used to evaluate programs to ensure they are
effectively supporting families. Because Transitional Jobs Programs impact
families affected by poverty, families of various ethnic and religious
backgrounds, and families varying cognitive, emotional, and physical needs it
is important to view them in regards to The Family Impact Checklist (Policy
Institute for Family Impact Seminars). Four principles of Family
Responsibility, Family Stability, Family Relationships, and Family
Engagement will be referenced to assess the degree to which Transitional
Jobs affect and support families in Wisconsin.
Principle 1: Family Responsibility

How does the policy encourage families to live autonomously in society?

This program enables family members to gain access to skills, such as on the
job training or mentoring, and services, such as AODA counseling or shelter
assistance that will eventually enable them to pursue gainful employment.
(Wisconsin Works Manual, 2014) If a member of the W-2 group is disabled or
ill, and care cannot be provided outside the home, then staying at home to
care for the member qualifies as meeting the W-2 requirement so that the
needs of the family are met. (Wisconsin Works Manual, 2014) In cases where
child support is paid, the increase in income enables a large portion of the
ordered payments to be made, making fulfilling parenting obligations and
court obligations more realistic. (Evaluation of Transitional Jobs
Demonstration Project, 2013) Increasing wages provide opportunities for
families to become more financially independent and to rely less on programs
such as food stamps. (The lessons of W-2)
Principle 3: Family Relationships

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How does this policy help to strengthen relationships between family

members?

While this policy is not directly related to family relationships, there are some
inadvertent ways in which it works to strengthen the family unit. Just as the
additional programs required by the W-2 transitions program create stability,
they also work to create family cohesion. For example, risk factors for child
abuse include poverty, unemployment and substance abuse.(Child abuse
and neglect, 2011) So while the policy doesnt address child abuse directly it
does alleviate some of the risk factors associated with it. W-2s approach
seems to have other impacts on family members and their relationships, as
well. During interviews with W-2 participants done by Amy Sherman (The
lessons of W-2, 2000), participants stated that they had high self-worth and
more hope, theyre lives had become more structured, theyre children felt less
shame, and children were better behaved. In recognizing that job placements
and be a life changing event affecting family dynamics, W-2 offers some
stability support through food stamp programs, transportation vouchers, and
child care programs. (The lessons of W-2, 2000)
Principle 4: Family Diversity

How does this policy respect and acknowledge family diversity?

W-2 makes an effort to recognize the special circumstances involved with

families caring for a special needs family member by providing a state
supplement payment to children of parents with permanent disabilities. If
the child is disabled, W-2 will work with the parent to find specialized day
care or credit the hours spent caring for the child as work hours to satisfy W-2
eligibility. If a parent has a disability that does not qualify them for SSI, W-2
will work with them to find work activities that are appropriate in order to
earn their W-2 support. (Replacing welfare in Wisconsin, 1996) Aspects of
this program seek to address the causes of work related barriers facing these
families. For example, aid is contingent upon participation of activities that

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address these barriers, including, rehabilitation, soft skills training, and job
preparation. (Replacing welfare in Wisconsin, 1996)

Principle 5: Family Engagement

How does this policy encourage cooperation between the families and
professionals?

This policy recognizes that the families in need of W-2 Transitions often
require professionals to work closely with the families to assess what the
individual barriers in relation to work. The professionals must accurately
ascertain the needs of each participant for childcare, transportation, and
other professional services. W-2 recognizes that not each participant group is
going to start at the same place or need the same level of services. To
accommodate for this, W-2 works as a ladder system with different phases
within each tier. For the transitions program previously enacted by the state,
member would move from and orientation phase to a subsidized phase and
then to an unsubsidized phase, at different rates depending on their levels of
need. (Evaluation of the Transitional Jobs Demonstration Project, 2013) W-2
strives to connect families to multiple service providers within a community
in order to meet the needs of the participants and their families functioning
as brokers for services that are available through other government agencies
throughout local communities. (Replacing welfare in Wisconsin, 1996) This
policy acknowledges that families need additional supports by providing
access to child care, transportation, and health care programs. (Replacing
welfare in Wisconsin, 1996)

Conclusion
The W-2 Transitions program takes on the hardest W-2 cases in terms of
employability. This is commendable as well as the focus of meeting
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participants where they are at in terms of addressing the barriers that exist
for them to employment. This is essential to long term success for these
participants in terms of creating stable lives for themselves and their
families. The policy addresses the need for looking at each
participants/participants family in its own context instead of trying to
accomplish the end of welfare through a cookie-cutter approach. The
research is thick with criticisms of this approach most often this criticism
wasnt about the program itself but about how it is implemented. The staff
dealing with W-2 participants needs to fully understand what the barriers
are that affect families and then utilize this step of the W-2 process.
(Transitions is one of the least utilized steps.) I think that this should be one
of the more utilized steps as it aims to treat the whole person more effectively
than the other phases of W-2, and in doing so addresses many of the crises
facing families on welfare other than unemployment/underemployment.

References
All About Wisconsin. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/usaweb/snapshot/Wisconsin.htm
Bogenschneider, K., & Mills, J. (n.d.). Policy Institute for Family Impact Seminars.
Retrieved from http://www.uwex.edu/ces/familyimpact/impact.htm
Bush, A. (1996). Replacing welfare in Wisconsin. Public Welfare, 54(2), 16. (n.d.).
Children, Youth and Families & Socioeconomic Status. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/factsheet-cyf.aspx
Davis, A., & Rupinski, T., Ph.D. (2013, September 16). Evaluation of the
Transitional Jobs Demonstration Project (Wisconsin Department of Children and
Families). Retrieved from dcf.wisconsin.gov/w2/pdf/tjdp_final_evaluation.pdf
Hildebrandt, E., & Kelber, S. T. (2013). TANF Over Time: The Tale of Three Studies.
Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice, 13(3), 130-141. doi: 10.1177/1527154412456433

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Institute for Research on Poverty. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://www.irp.wisc.edu/faqs/faq4.htm
Sherman, A. L. (2000). The lessons of W-2. Public Interest, (140), 36-48. Retrieved
from http://ezproxy.lib.uwstout.edu/login?
url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/222105546?accountid=9255. (n.d.).
W-2 Manual. (2014, January 24). Retrieved from
http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/w2/manual/whnjs.htm
Wisconsin Works (W-2) Overview. (2014, February 21). Retrieved from
http://dcf.wisconsin.gov/w2/wisworks.htm