Behavioral Interventions to Advance Self-Sufficiency

Funded by the Administration for Children and Families, this project, led by MDRC, involved applying behavioral insights to issues related to operations, implementation, structure, and efficacy of social service programs and policies. The projects demonstrated how tools from behavioral science can be used to improve the well-being of low-income children, adults, and families. MEF ran two pilots to increase the number of incarcerated noncustodial parents (NCPs) who request a downward modification to their child support orders. Additionally, MEF led a pilot testing approaches to improving re-engagement of TANF recipients.

PUBLICATIONS:
Taking the First Step: Using Behavioral Economics to Help Incarcerated Parents Apply for Child Support Order Modifications
Framing the Message: Using Behavioral Economics to Engage TANF Recipients
Simplify, Notify, Modify: Using Behavioral Insights to Increase Incarcerated Parents’ Requests for Child Support Modification
POLICY AREAS:
Child Support | Criminal Justice and Re-Entry | Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
METHODOLOGIES:
Administrative Data Analysis | Behavioral Diagnosis and Intervention Design | Conference Presentations | Cost and Benefit-cost Studies | Evaluation Planning and Technical Assistance | Implementation and Process Studies | Interviews and Focus Groups | Randomized Control Trials (RCTs)
STAFF:
Mary Farrell | Asaph Glosser