View definitions of terms used throughout the Pathways Clearinghouse.

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Case management

Meeting one-on-one with an employment specialist or counselor who helps assess needs and refers clients to other available services. Case management can take place before or during employment and could focus on employment or on other topics, such as mental health or a substance use disorder. Case management may be an intervention's primary service.

Child care

Free or subsidized child care and early education services or money or vouchers to cover the cost of child care and early education services. The Pathways Clearinghouse uses this services tag for interventions that provide intensive assistance in this domain that is not in the context of a broader employment and training program. Child care may be an intervention's primary service.

Comparison group

A group with characteristics similar to those of intervention group members, except that those in the comparison group do not have an opportunity to receive the services of interest. The comparison group is intended to represent what would have happened to members of the intervention group if they had not been offered the services from the intervention of interest.

Confounding factor

A factor that might affect how well an intervention works and that applies differently to the intervention and comparison groups. Because this factor can affect one group and not the other, the presence of a confounding factor causes us to question a study’s findings. One type of confounding factor is an element external to the intervention that reaches only the members of one study group—for instance, if all members of the intervention group lived in one state and all members of the comparison group lived in another state. In this case, it would be impossible to separate the effect of the program or policy from that of local economic conditions.