CHAPEL HILL – A
study by 11 UNC institutions points to the significance of North Carolina's welfare reform effort. Faculty members at the UNC institutions have
collaborated to produce preliminary findings concerning North Carolina county responses to
welfare policy changes shaped by the General Assembly in 1997.
The study, co-directed by
Professors Phillip Cooke and Deil Wright, in addition to examining county efforts to
implement welfare reform, also explored the resulting changes in county-state
relationships. The research has been funded
in part by Winston-Salem's Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and UNC-CH's Odum Institute for
Research in Social Science.
Wright noted that,
“One effect of the so-called ‘devolution revolution’ of the 1990s has been
to shift the focus of attention to welfare policy issues from the national to the state
and, in NC, from the state to the counties or local communities.” He also commented that, “there are
significant tradeoffs in making such first and second-order shifts, but our results
indicate that welfare has not dropped off the local radar screen, or at least so far as NC
county officials are concerned.”
Several preliminary
patterns have emerged in the survey responses. According
to the study, the 1997 North Carolina General Assembly legislation significantly increased
county attention to welfare reform. Although the importance of welfare reform peaked in
1997, it remains an important issue on the policy agendas in North Carolina counties.
“Welfare reform proved to be a collaborative
and dynamic effort, with all surveyed county officials playing an important part in its
implementation,” said Phillip Cooke. “DSS
Directors and Social Services Board Chairs stand out as the ‘policy
specialists,’ and were identified as the primary sources of new innovations and
influence in the counties. Additionally, other actors, such as members of the Business
Community and Non-Profit Organizations, were identified as having moderate levels of
influence.”
This unique project combines statewide survey information from county
officials in 99 of the 100 N.C. counties, along with detailed reports on 23 N.C. counties
by 12 faculty members at UNC institutions from across the state. County Commissioners, County Managers, County
Social Service Directors, and Social Service Board Chairs were asked to share their views.
Over 50 percent of the
county officials responded that as a result of the 1997 reforms, their individual counties
obtained greater welfare policy-making authority. Results
also highlight the desire of county officials, particularly County Commissioners and
Managers, to seek additional welfare policy-making power in the future. Interestingly,
while two-thirds of county officials feel constrained by the state mandates that
accompanied welfare programs, many still responded that county-level flexibility increased
despite these mandates.
Currently, counties are
confronting the renewal of their welfare implementation plans. This occurs in the context of sharply reduced
caseloads and an uncertain atmosphere since the 1997 reform legislation. As a result, the timeliness and policy relevance
of this study is evident.
An important disclaimer to remember is that this study does not focus on the impact
of welfare reform on welfare clients, but rather on the roles and influences of county
officials on welfare policy implementation.
Additional findings will
be explored and reported in the coming weeks. First, further analysis and dissemination of
current results to policy-makers will assume high priority.
Second, future investigations will attempt to explore the impact of
legislative reforms on NC welfare caseload reduction in the context of a robust economy. Third, the project will begin to “track the
money” associated with TANF and welfare reform from the state to the county levels of
government. Fourth, specific details regarding county-state relations with respect to
policy implementation will be explored. Fifth, an examination of the distinctions between
standard and electing counties will be pursued. Finally, future reports will address the
findings and conclusions from our 23 in-depth county reports.
Note: For further details, contact Susan Webb Yackee at swebb@email.unc.edu.
Wright can be reached at (w) 919-929-2847 (h) or 919-962-0414 (w) Cooke at 919-962-6531 or 968-0434.