Skip Top Navigation
Texas Workforce home |  site index  |  about us  |  contact information 
Navigational Tabs Businesses and Employers Home Page Job Seekers and Employees Home Page Service Providers Home Page Boards and Network Partners Home Page Researchers and Policy Makers Home Page
         

Welfare Reform Initiatives

Texas is a national model for successful welfare reform. Almost ten years ago, House Bill 1863 radically changed the State’s public assistance programs to emphasize immediate attachment to the workforce, work leading toward independence, and self-reliance.

Since September 1995:

  • Texas continues to rank in the top ten States in transitioning families from welfare to work,
  • Welfare rolls decreased by nearly 367,000,
  • Texas received more than $72.6 million in federal high-performance bonuses for effective welfare programs.

Welfare Reform Initiatives (WRI) is the Texas Workforce Commission division charged with continuing Texas’ successful welfare reform by leading the development of workforce solutions that offers Texans the opportunity to achieve and sustain economic success. WRI achieves this mission by providing advanced data analysis, policy research, policy development, technical assistance, and building strategic partnerships.

We Accomplish Our Mission Through…

  • Data Analysis - WRI staff regularly analyze a broad range of welfare data relating to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) performance, caseloads, and projections for legislative and executive/State leadership. This analysis identifies areas of success, challenges within the system, and informs policy development.
  • Policy Research and Development - WRI staff provide state leaders and decision-makers with analysis and research of TANF and welfare reform issues, enabling them to set sound policies and to plan for efficient service delivery. WRI also produces reports and studies that effectively communicate agency positions and decisions to stakeholders.
  • Technical Assistance and Training - WRI provides policy guidance and technical assistance training to State and local members of the Texas Workforce Network focusing on areas of emerging concern and transition. WRI is a recognized authority regarding welfare reform research, analysis, and policy development and staff frequently make presentations to national public policy organizations, legislative committees, and academic conferences.
  • Building Strategic Partnerships - WRI is an integral part of numerous State-level coalitions, intra-agency workgroups, national “think tanks” and informal networks of individuals and organizations dealing with issues surrounding welfare reform. These valuable connections position WRI to be the primary source of welfare-related data and policy analysis in Texas.

Last Revision: January 24, 2005