In 1996, Congress enacted welfare reform legislation which instituted the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) Program which requires each state in the nation to implement their own welfare program and quicky transition welfare recipients to the work force. Research was conducted to evaluate new questions about welfare reform benefits for improvements in the March 2000 Current Population Survey. Topics of interest were receipt of cash assistance, recognition of the program name for cash assistance, transportation and child care assistance, and employment-related training services. In this report, results of cognitive interviews covering these topics are presented. Nineteen interviews were conducted (split between Boston, MA, Seattle, WA, and Raleigh, NC). Based on the interview results, recommendations for revised question wording, sequencing, and additional questions were made. The majority of recommendations were accepted by the sponsor and incorporated into the CPS March 2000 supplement.
