Single Parent Employment Support Program (SESP)

1. Single Parent Employment Support Program (SESP) SESP Presentation Presentation to Welfare to Work: The Next Generation Forum

2. Introductions and Overview SESP Presentation • Purpose • Background • Goals and Objectives • Program Components • Evaluation Approach • Evaluation Findings • Summary Key Factors • Challenges

3. Purpose SESP Presentation • Provide an overview of SESP as a best practice • Value of collaborative partnership approach between government and agency • Value of an external evaluation process • Value of combining income supplementation and employment support program elements

4. Background SESP Presentation • HRE Mandate • Redesign • Value of partnership • Supporting Work • Belief people want to work • Complex set of factors requiring long term solutions • Reduce disincentives in income support policy and programs • Provide employment supports help people obtain and maintain employment • Empirical evidence - to test thesis that social programs achieve goals and are cost effective • HRE and SPAN partner to design, deliver, and evaluate pilot

5. Goals and Objectives SESP Presentation Main goal is to assist unemployed single parents who receive income assistance achieve increased financial independence by helping them prepare for, obtain and maintain employment Key objectives include: • Enable single parents to be financially "better off" through accepting and maintaining employment • Provide the supports needed to address employment barriers • Be simple in delivery • Result in savings to the Income Support Program • Provide "lessons learned" for the re-design of the Income Support and Employment Program

6. Program Components SESP Presentation • A job readiness/job search skills component (6 weeks) • Supports of child care and transportation for initial 10 weeks of program • Person supports while working e.g. problem solving • An Earned Income Supplement (EIS) that makes it financially rewarding for single parents to accept work and advance • Formula used to calculate EIS • Supplement Varies - $1.00 - $2.50 per hour • Maximum rate $300.00 per month • Higher rates for more hours of work and/or for higher hourly wage rates

7. Evaluation Approach SESP Presentation • Evaluation Committee • External Consultant • Formative Evaluation - goals and outcomes • Summative Evaluation

8. Evaluation Findings 318 single parents (August 1998 - December 2001) • Barriers • Child care • Job search • Other barriers to employment • Acquisition of Employment • Found employment at higher rate than comparison group • 80% obtained employment SESP Presentation

9. Evaluation Findings SESP Presentation • Retention • Maintaining employment • Advancing within the labour market • Leaving Income Support • Benefits • Breaking intergenerational dependence on Income Support • Reduced use of drug card • Improved self confidence and self esteem • Improved quality of life

10. Evaluation Findings SESP Presentation • Benefits/Costs • 36% of participants had left Income Support by end of June 2003, compared with 21% of comparison group • A total of 103 (32.4%) no longer is in receipt of income support benefits • Costs incur over short period • Benefits accrue longer term • Cost neutral position achieved 2 1/2 years • To the end of June 2003 - Net gain $296,184 for first nine groups

11. Summary Key Factors SESP Presentation • Clients self identify • Key components delivered by community agency • Income supplement • Earned • Rewards progression for increasing hours worked and amount earned • Provided ongoing support while people worked • Cost-effective way to support clients move from Income support • Value of employment and personal supports and EIS based on the needs of the client

12. Challenges SESP Presentation • Fiscal year funding • Transferability to less urban settings • Building community capacity/partnership • Other client