© The contents of this finding aid are the copyright of the University of Chicago Library
© 2010 University of Chicago Library
Box 4 contains salary information, restricted until 2020.
The remainder of the collection is open for research.
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: University of Chicago. School of Social Service Administration. WIN Program. Records, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
The Work Incentive Program (WIN) was established by the U.S. Department of Labor in 1967-1968. WIN was designed to increase employability and employment among those receiving welfare under Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). It required states to offer job training and job-seeking assistance. A voluntary program until 1971, incentives for participation ranged from exemptions in calculating AFDC need to actual incentive payments. WIN programs were federally funded and locally administered by employment services and social services.
As a research institution and public service provider, the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration (SSA) was involved with local administration of the WIN program. Working closely with the University of Michigan's School of Social Work and Case Western University's School of Applied Social Science, SSA produced a number of reports on the program's administration and its efficacy on the ground.
The WIN Program met with widespread criticism and was generally recognized as having failed to accomplish its intended goals. By the early 1970s it was clear that many enrollees were not finding jobs. Amendments to the Social Security Act in 1971, 1980, 1982, and 1984 attempted to improve program administration. By 1990 it had been phased out by a new program, Job Opportunities and Basic Skills (JOBS).
The collection consists of records of SSA's administrative role in the WIN Program from 1969-1973. These files were kept by William Reid, a former SSA faculty member. Much of the material relates to conferences and panel meetings held jointly with the University of Michigan's School of Social Work and Case Western University's School of Applied Social Science. Materials include correspondence, minutes, reports, clippings, and publications. Files are arranged alphabetically.
The following related resources are located in the Department of Special Collections: