New Hope for Low-Income Workers

Improving Economic and Child Outcomes in Milwaukee

By the Annie E. Casey Foundation

June 22, 1999

Summary

In 1994, Milwaukee implemented a two-year program, New Hope, that provided low-income working families with a flexible package of earnings supplements and services. The results? Glorious. Parents benefited from a boost in employment and earnings. Equally noteworthy: Their kids — specifically their sons — had fewer behavioral issues and better academic success.   

This report is from the Summer 1999 edition of AdvoCasey, a seasonal newsletter with themed issues that spotlight programs and policies making measurable differences in the lives of kids and families.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaway

Introducing New Hope, Milwaukee’s innovative program aimed at helping low-income families succeed

In exchange for working at least 30 hours a week, New Hope families were eligible for income supplements, affordable health insurance, child-care subsidies and minimum-wage community service jobs. Experts have rigorously evaluated the antipoverty program’s impact on participating parents and — more noteworthy — their poor children.

Findings & Stats

Statements & Quotations