Pam Ovwigho - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Pam Ovwigho
Maryland's ongoing, longitudinal study of families who leave Temporary Assistance to Needy Fa... more Maryland's ongoing, longitudinal study of families who leave Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) has utilized a variety of administrative data sources to provide policy makers and program managers with solid, empirical information on families' post-exit lives. Since the inception of welfare reform in Maryland, annual reports from the Life After Welfare project have shown that, at minimum, one out of two adults work in a job covered by the state's unemployment insurance (UI) program in the quarter immediately following the welfare exit. This percentage is significantly higher than the percentage of cases typically closed with the administrative code "Income Above Limit/Started Work." In this research brief, we utilize a subset of data from the Life After Welfare study to more closely examine the relationship between employment and administrative case closing reasons. Data from both Maryland's UI wage system is combined with UI wage data from the Di...
Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank Baskin Cooper, Jamie Haskel, Rennert Kane, Tamiko... more Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank Baskin Cooper, Jamie Haskel, Rennert Kane, Tamiko Myles, Nikol Shaw, and Kirk Tracy for their assistance in the collection and processing of data for this report. We would also like to thank Kathryn Patterson for assistance with the report graphics. This report was preparedby theFami ly Welfare Research and Training Group, School of
Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 2011
An increasing number of people no longer enrolled in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TAN... more An increasing number of people no longer enrolled in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) experience periods of “disconnection” after exiting the welfare program. The present research, based on data from a large longitudinal state welfare leaver study, explores the circumstances and characteristics of welfare leavers who receive no formal employment earnings but do not return to cash assistance for at least 1 year after exiting welfare. Using a variety of administrative program data and welfare caseworker notes, the size of the various subgroups within the disconnected population and their possible needs were examined. Cluster analysis revealed 6 important subgroups with differing needs and barriers. The findings focus on policy implications, particularly in relation to the Congressional reauthorization of TANF.
Children and Youth Services Review, 2003
Children and Youth Services Review, 2012
Child welfare policy has historically emphasized the positive impact relative caregivers can have... more Child welfare policy has historically emphasized the positive impact relative caregivers can have on foster children. This emphasis coupled with recent changes in the composition of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) caseload has led to interest in child-only, relative caregiver cases. Child-only research, however, ignores cases in which the relative caregiver is also receiving benefits. Using the universe of welfare cases in Maryland in October 2005, this article compares and contrasts the demographic and case characteristics of parental and relative caregiver cases, also analyzing differences between cases with and without an adult receiving benefits. Findings indicate that relative caregivers have service needs that differ from those of parents and that recipient relative caregivers are more disadvantaged than child-only cases.
Administration in Social Work, 2008
Survey-based studies reveal the prevalence of employment barriers among Temporary Assistance to N... more Survey-based studies reveal the prevalence of employment barriers among Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients. However, the extent to which welfare caseworkers are aware of, and therefore able to address, particular barriers is unknown. This study compares survey data with electronic case records to measure the rate of agreement in barrier identification, and finds that although agreement rates are high, barriers were more likely to have been documented by caseworkers for certain subgroups of recipients. It is suggested that welfare agencies
Administration in Social Work, 2002
The federally-imposed lifetime limit on cash assistance receipt compels program administrators to... more The federally-imposed lifetime limit on cash assistance receipt compels program administrators to examine returns to welfare after an exit. We explore recidivism among a random sample of 2,665 Maryland families who left welfare between October 1996 and December 1997. Using administrative data, we compare the demographic characteristics, welfare histories, and work histories of recidivists and non-recidivists. Results indicate that most families do not return to welfare within a year. However, almost one-third do return, often within the first 30 days. This rarely investigated "administrative churning" phenomenon is important because of the federal time limit, the valuable agency resources which are consumed in handling churning cases and the possible negative consequences of churning on family well-being.
Executive Summary Although familiarly known as “welfare reform,” the Personal Responsibility and ... more Executive Summary Although familiarly known as “welfare reform,” the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 also made major changes to public child support programs, including the mandate that states establish paternity for 90 ...
Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 2016
Personal devotional practices, such as prayer and reading sacred texts are important components o... more Personal devotional practices, such as prayer and reading sacred texts are important components of most major religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. One intent of these spiritual practices is to transform the individual's attitudes, actions, and worldview to become more aligned with the beliefs and teachings of that religion (O'Keefe, 2007; Rupp, 2007; Silf, 2004).Despite the central role of sacred texts in many religious teachings, researchers have only recently begun to examine personal spiritual practices and how they relate to other aspects of the individual's life, including their attitudes and behaviors. Most of this work has focused on personal prayer and general measures of personal religiosity. Little has considered the role of reading sacred texts as a spiritual practice.This study expands our understanding of personal spiritual practices by examining the role these practices play in the lives of self-identified Christians. We particularly focus...
Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 2016
This study expands our understanding of personal spiritual practices by examining the role these ... more This study expands our understanding of personal spiritual practices by examining the role these practices play in the lives of self-identified Christians. We particularly focus on Bible reading, a practice that has received little attention in the literature yet is central to the teachings of Christianity. We consider the extent to which Bible engagement predicts moral behavior among teens and adults when other factors are taken into account.
We found strong and consistent relationships between how often a person reads or listens to the Bible and their behavior. Among teens, those who read or listen to the Bible at least four days a week have lower odds of excessive drinking, having sex outside marriage, and viewing pornography, compared to their peers who do not read the Bible at all. Similarly, teens who engage scripture one to three days are less likely to drink excessively or have sex outside marriage than those who do not engage scripture at all.
Maryland's ongoing, longitudinal study of families who leave Temporary Assistance to Needy Fa... more Maryland's ongoing, longitudinal study of families who leave Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) has utilized a variety of administrative data sources to provide policy makers and program managers with solid, empirical information on families' post-exit lives. Since the inception of welfare reform in Maryland, annual reports from the Life After Welfare project have shown that, at minimum, one out of two adults work in a job covered by the state's unemployment insurance (UI) program in the quarter immediately following the welfare exit. This percentage is significantly higher than the percentage of cases typically closed with the administrative code "Income Above Limit/Started Work." In this research brief, we utilize a subset of data from the Life After Welfare study to more closely examine the relationship between employment and administrative case closing reasons. Data from both Maryland's UI wage system is combined with UI wage data from the Di...
Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank Baskin Cooper, Jamie Haskel, Rennert Kane, Tamiko... more Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank Baskin Cooper, Jamie Haskel, Rennert Kane, Tamiko Myles, Nikol Shaw, and Kirk Tracy for their assistance in the collection and processing of data for this report. We would also like to thank Kathryn Patterson for assistance with the report graphics. This report was preparedby theFami ly Welfare Research and Training Group, School of
Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services, 2011
An increasing number of people no longer enrolled in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TAN... more An increasing number of people no longer enrolled in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) experience periods of “disconnection” after exiting the welfare program. The present research, based on data from a large longitudinal state welfare leaver study, explores the circumstances and characteristics of welfare leavers who receive no formal employment earnings but do not return to cash assistance for at least 1 year after exiting welfare. Using a variety of administrative program data and welfare caseworker notes, the size of the various subgroups within the disconnected population and their possible needs were examined. Cluster analysis revealed 6 important subgroups with differing needs and barriers. The findings focus on policy implications, particularly in relation to the Congressional reauthorization of TANF.
Children and Youth Services Review, 2003
Children and Youth Services Review, 2012
Child welfare policy has historically emphasized the positive impact relative caregivers can have... more Child welfare policy has historically emphasized the positive impact relative caregivers can have on foster children. This emphasis coupled with recent changes in the composition of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) caseload has led to interest in child-only, relative caregiver cases. Child-only research, however, ignores cases in which the relative caregiver is also receiving benefits. Using the universe of welfare cases in Maryland in October 2005, this article compares and contrasts the demographic and case characteristics of parental and relative caregiver cases, also analyzing differences between cases with and without an adult receiving benefits. Findings indicate that relative caregivers have service needs that differ from those of parents and that recipient relative caregivers are more disadvantaged than child-only cases.
Administration in Social Work, 2008
Survey-based studies reveal the prevalence of employment barriers among Temporary Assistance to N... more Survey-based studies reveal the prevalence of employment barriers among Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) recipients. However, the extent to which welfare caseworkers are aware of, and therefore able to address, particular barriers is unknown. This study compares survey data with electronic case records to measure the rate of agreement in barrier identification, and finds that although agreement rates are high, barriers were more likely to have been documented by caseworkers for certain subgroups of recipients. It is suggested that welfare agencies
Administration in Social Work, 2002
The federally-imposed lifetime limit on cash assistance receipt compels program administrators to... more The federally-imposed lifetime limit on cash assistance receipt compels program administrators to examine returns to welfare after an exit. We explore recidivism among a random sample of 2,665 Maryland families who left welfare between October 1996 and December 1997. Using administrative data, we compare the demographic characteristics, welfare histories, and work histories of recidivists and non-recidivists. Results indicate that most families do not return to welfare within a year. However, almost one-third do return, often within the first 30 days. This rarely investigated "administrative churning" phenomenon is important because of the federal time limit, the valuable agency resources which are consumed in handling churning cases and the possible negative consequences of churning on family well-being.
Executive Summary Although familiarly known as “welfare reform,” the Personal Responsibility and ... more Executive Summary Although familiarly known as “welfare reform,” the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 also made major changes to public child support programs, including the mandate that states establish paternity for 90 ...
Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 2016
Personal devotional practices, such as prayer and reading sacred texts are important components o... more Personal devotional practices, such as prayer and reading sacred texts are important components of most major religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. One intent of these spiritual practices is to transform the individual's attitudes, actions, and worldview to become more aligned with the beliefs and teachings of that religion (O'Keefe, 2007; Rupp, 2007; Silf, 2004).Despite the central role of sacred texts in many religious teachings, researchers have only recently begun to examine personal spiritual practices and how they relate to other aspects of the individual's life, including their attitudes and behaviors. Most of this work has focused on personal prayer and general measures of personal religiosity. Little has considered the role of reading sacred texts as a spiritual practice.This study expands our understanding of personal spiritual practices by examining the role these practices play in the lives of self-identified Christians. We particularly focus...
Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 2016
This study expands our understanding of personal spiritual practices by examining the role these ... more This study expands our understanding of personal spiritual practices by examining the role these practices play in the lives of self-identified Christians. We particularly focus on Bible reading, a practice that has received little attention in the literature yet is central to the teachings of Christianity. We consider the extent to which Bible engagement predicts moral behavior among teens and adults when other factors are taken into account.
We found strong and consistent relationships between how often a person reads or listens to the Bible and their behavior. Among teens, those who read or listen to the Bible at least four days a week have lower odds of excessive drinking, having sex outside marriage, and viewing pornography, compared to their peers who do not read the Bible at all. Similarly, teens who engage scripture one to three days are less likely to drink excessively or have sex outside marriage than those who do not engage scripture at all.