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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Fighting Poverty One Family at a Time: Experimental Evidence from an Intervention with Holistic, Individualized, Wrap-Around Services (Evans et al., 2020)

Review Guidelines

Causal Evidence Guidelines

Absence of conflict of interest.

Citation

Evans, W. N., Kolka, S., Sullivan, J. X., & Turner, P. S. (2020). Fighting Poverty One Family at a Time: Experimental Evidence from an Intervention with Holistic, Individualized, Wrap-Around Services.

Highlights

  • The study's objective was to examine the impact of the Padua program on employment, earnings, and public benefits receipt. 
  • The study used a randomized controlled trial to assign participants to the Padua program or the control group. Using survey data, the authors compared the outcomes of treatment and control group members at 12- and 24-months post enrollment.  
  • The study found that Padua participants had significantly higher rates of full-time employment, worked more hours per week, and received less WIC benefits than control group participants. 
  • This study receives a high evidence rating. This means we are confident that any estimated effects are attributable to the Padua program, and not to other factors. 

Intervention Examined

Padua

Features of the Intervention

The Padua program, developed by Catholic Charities Fort Worth, was an anti-poverty program in Tarrant County, TX. Padua aimed to address the specific needs of families in poverty and provided them with the necessary resources and support to achieve self-sufficiency. The program included a detailed assessment of each participant upon enrollment, which was used to create an individualized service plan for intensive, strengths-based case management. Padua participants were assigned to a two-person case management team consisting of a case manager and a case worker. The case management team, overseen by a program manager, worked together to implement customized services. Additionally, the program provided temporary financial assistance to incentivize participant behavior and help them overcome barriers to self-sufficiency. The Padua program targeted adults aged 18 to 55 with insufficient income to meet their families' needs. However, individuals with mental illness, substance use disorders, or other disabilities that could require ongoing public assistance were not eligible for the program. 

Features of the Study

The study used a randomized controlled trial to examine the impact of the Padua program on employment, earnings, and public benefits receipt outcomes. Individuals who either had a job or were willing and able to work but whose income was not sufficient to meet the needs of their family were eligible to participate in the study. Of the 427 eligible participants, 193 were assigned to the treatment group and 234 were assigned to the control group. Treatment group participants received the Padua program while the control group participants received standard services from Catholic Charities Fort Worth. The treatment group participants were primarily female (85%), less than half were Black (45%), over half were single mothers (56%), and had an average of 37.3 years. The control group participants were primarily female (85%), half were Black (50%), over half were single mothers (56%), and had an average age of 37.2 years. Survey data were collected at baseline and at 12- and 24-months post enrollment. The authors used statistical models to compare outcomes between treatment and control group participants.  

Findings

Employment  

  • The study found that Padua participants had significantly higher rates of full-time employment at 12- and 24-months post enrollment compared to the control group.  
  • The study also found that Padua participants worked more hours per week than control group participants at 12-months post enrollment. No other significant differences were found.  

Earnings and wages 

  • The study found no significant differences in monthly earnings at 12- and 24-months post enrollment between Padua and control group participants.  

Public benefits receipt  

  • The study found that Padua participants had a significant decrease in the receipt of WIC benefits at 24-months post enrollment compared to the control group. No other significant differences were found. 

Considerations for Interpreting the Findings

The follow-up time period was not the same for all participants. For the 12-month outcomes, 92 percent of the follow-up occurred 10 to 14 months after baseline. For the 24-month outcomes, 92 percent of the follow-up occurred 22 to 26 months after baseline. 

Causal Evidence Rating

The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is high because it was based on a well-implemented randomized controlled trial. This means we are confident that any estimated effects are attributable to the Padua program, and not to other factors. 

Reviewed by CLEAR

January 2025

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