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Abstract
Excerpts: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the primary source of nutrition assistance for many individuals and families with low incomes. SNAP provides monthly benefits to help participants obtain adequate access to food. For some participants, the program also provides work supports through SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) programs designed to help individuals become economically self-sufficient. Although States are required to administer a SNAP E&T program, they have flexibility in designing and determining its services and activities, which can include assessments and support services, and a range of activities, such as job search assistance or training, occupational skills training, and basic education. Because the design and offerings of SNAP E&T programs vary considerably across States and little research has been conducted on them, information is limited about the most effective approaches to help SNAP participants gain skills and find work. For this reason, as part of the Agricultural Act of 2014, Congress authorized and funded a group of pilot programs to test innovative strategies for connecting SNAP participants with jobs that would increase their incomes and reduce their need for public assistance benefits. In 2015, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) awarded grants for SNAP E&T pilots to 10 States—California, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. This report summarizes findings from final evaluation reports prepared for each of the 10 pilots. It describes the pilots’ designs and implementation, the pilot services individuals received, and the effectiveness of those services in improving individuals’ outcomes, measured for a three-year period following random assignment. The report also summarizes findings from the cost-benefit analysis, which itemizes specific monetary costs and benefits of pilot services, and assesses whether the benefits of these services were large enough to offset their costs.