SonomaWORKS a Community Health and Welfare Program Evaluation

SonomaWORKS was a ‘welfare to work’ program that was evaluated through grant funding from the US Department of Justice in the late 1990's. The outcomes from the research show some indication of success in moving long term welfare dependant families into full time and part time work. The core objective of this community services program was to improve the quality of life of the participants and encourage participation in the workforce. This policy approach along with other economic rationalisation incentives have been duplicated in other parts of the world in recent years. The evaluation findings on this program highlight the positive and negative aspects of a social welfare system.