Inventory of Agency Services

At the request of the S & R Pieper Family Foundation, The Dieringer Research Group designed a research study regarding the needs of single parent families. The purpose of this study was to explore how individuals, living at or below a poverty existence, feel about the services that are available and whether or not the available services are meeting their needs.

The study was a three phase research project, designed to understand the issues facing single parents and to get feedback directly from those most involved and able to articulate their successes or concerns.

This report represents the information collected from the third and final phase of the research study, the Inventory of Social Service Agencies. This study was specifically conducted to inventory and profile the social service agencies operating in Milwaukee and determine the gaps in the services needed versus available to single parent families.

In order to meet the study objectives, three separate, but inter-related, studies were conducted.

	Qualitative focus groups with single mothers (one group currently using W-2 and one group who qualified but not currently using W-2)

	400 quantitative telephone interviews with single mothers (200 currently using W-2 and 200 who qualify for W-2 but not currently using W-2)

	A mail survey, designed to inventory social services agencies regarding the services available to persons in Milwaukee County

A mail questionnaire was distributed to the Executive Directors of 778 social service agencies in Milwaukee County. The mailing list included 747 organizations classified as a social service agency by Dun & Bradstreet Information Services (D&B) representing the SIC codes of: 8322 - Individual and Family Services (N=276), 8331 - Job Training and Related Services (N=36), 8351 - Child Day Care Services (N=357), and 8399 - Social Services not elsewhere classified (N=78). This list was supplemented by additional United Way agencies (N=21) and W-2 offices (N=10) not previously included in the D&B list.

After the December 15, 2000 return deadline, the Executive Director of all organizations (except child day care organizations) was called to: qualify the organization as a social service agency directly serving individuals, confirm receipt of the questionnaire (a second questionnaire was sent if requested), and determine their plans to participate. The return deadline was then extended to January 15, 2001.

By the January 15, 2001 return deadline, 117 of the 654 qualified organizations[1] returned surveys, of which 102 returned usable, completed surveys[2]. This is a response rate of 16%. This response rate is lower than anticipated, however, several factors may have affected the response rate. First of all, the study was conducted at the end of 2000/beginning of 2001, which is a busy time for social service organizations. Second, some respondents complained that they have received many questionnaires of this type and did not have the time to participate. Finally, through conversations with social service executives, it was confirmed that funding for many social service agencies has become outcome-based, resulting in pressures for this information and even mistrust toward the organizations/companies seeking this information.

[1] Out of the 778 organizations, 124 were not qualified due to: duplicate entries, a closed branch/location, no longer in existence, incorrectly classified by D&B, or was a trade association or organization. A qualified organization was defined as a social service organization providing services directly to individuals in Milwaukee County.

[2] This report is based on the information provided by the responding agencies. Perhaps if more organizations had responded, the results would be different. The fact that many did not respond has implications not only for this study, but also for low income single mothers, who already have challenges accessing "the system."