On September 1, 1997, Wisconsin introduced Wisconsin Works (W-2), a welfare program based on work participation to replace Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). The Wisconsin Works site contains a W-2 program fact sheet, Transition Times (a monthly newsletter) and a glossary of W-2 terms.

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 was passed on August 22, 1996. The Act "changed the nation's welfare system into one that requires work in exchange for time-limited assistance."