2016 - 2022
The Understanding Poverty project, which was conducted by MEF Associates in partnership with MDRC, examined the organizational culture of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) offices and the perspectives of families and children living in poverty.
TANF Office Culture Study
This study is explored how organizational culture, office design, and office procedures contribute to shaping clients’ experiences with TANF, the services provided to them, and potentially their outcomes. The concept of organizational culture encompasses the organization’s mission and vision in relation to its clients and the shared objectives guiding its work as well as values, attitudes, expectations, assumptions, and norms. It also manifests in more concrete, everyday ways—such as physical location and office design, staff training, staffing decisions, employee decision-making and interactions with clients, and written procedures and materials. Fieldwork focused on exemplars of productive client-oriented office settings and organizational processes and culture and/or TANF offices that have made conscious attempts at organizational culture change. The six TANF sites included in the study were:
- Fairfax County’s Department of Family Services (Virginia),
- Mesa County’s Workforce Center (Colorado),
- New York City’s Human Resources Administration (New York),
- Owens Valley Career Development Center’s Tribal TANF Program (California),
- Santa Cruz County’s Human Services Department (California), and
- Utah Department of Workforce Services.
Childhood and Family Experiences Study
This study examined the experiences and perspectives of children and families living in poverty, including those who apply for and access TANF and other safety net benefits. A large body of research spanning decades has reflected a range of psychological, educational, health, and other serious and sometimes long-term impacts associated with severe economic disadvantage in childhood. While there is a growing literature on the lived experiences of adults in conditions of severe deprivation, less is known about how children of various ages experience, perceive, and view the day-to-day circumstances of living in poverty. Interviews with children and youth as well as their parents facilitated a deeper understanding of what children understand about their families’ economic circumstances, how families talk about public assistance benefits, and other aspects of their life experiences. Study participants were recruited from three communities located in Los Angeles, New York City, and South Central Appalachia.
Both studies under the Understanding Poverty project include a literature review, consultations with experts in the field, and site-based fieldwork. Taken together, the findings of this inquiry improved the field’s understanding of the experiences of children living in poverty and their families, including how the TANF program and organizational culture affect individuals within this population.
Point(s) of contact: Amelia Popham and Lauren Deutsch
Both of these studies are registered on the Open Science Framework under the titles Understanding Poverty: TANF Office Culture and Understanding Poverty: Childhood & Family Experiences Study .
Information collections related to this project have been reviewed and approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs under OMB # 0970-0520 (TANF Office Culture) and OMB # 0970-0523 (Childhood & Family Experiences). Related materials are available on at the TANF Office Culture study and Childhood & Family Experiences study Information collection pages on RegInfo.gov.
The most currently approved documents are accessible by clicking on the ICR Ref. No. with the most recent conclusion date. To access the information collections (e.g. interviews, surveys, protocols), click on View Information Collection (IC) List. Click on View Supporting Statement and Other Documents to access other supplementary documents.