The Workings of WIN (Work Incentive): A Field Observation Study of Three Local Offices

摘要

The purpose of the Work Incentive (WIN) program is to help recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) enter the labor market. Previous studies, mostly quantitatives in orientation, yielded a great deal of information about WIN outcomes and client characteristics. However, before this study was undertaken, little was known about the quality of interactions of counselors and clients on the local level or about the way in which federal WIN guidelines and policies were implemented at this level. The present study begun in an effort to address these issues. The study, which includes three local WIN offices, focuses on the critical dimensions of the WIN experience in an attempt to provide a qualitatively rich description and analysis of the in-office decisionmaking processes of counselors in such areas as the appraisal of employability, the identification and provision of supportive social services, and job assistance.