About Us

Peer TA facilitates the sharing of information across state and local agencies implementing the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.

Our Mission

The goal of Peer TA is to establish linkages among TANF agencies and their partners serving TANF and low-income families at the state, county, local, and tribal level. The Peer TA website acts as a dissemination and communications vehicle, supporting the Peer TA Network in the provision of technical assistance, facilitating a dialogue among organizations serving TANF and low-income families, and helping organizations learn about innovative programs and the latest research around effective strategies to strengthen TANF and low-income families for economic mobility.

Contact Us

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

logo of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The mission of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is to help provide the building blocks that Americans need to live healthy, successful lives. We fulfill that mission every day by providing millions of children, families, and seniors with access to high-quality health care, by helping people find jobs and parents find affordable child care, by keeping the food on Americans’ shelves safe and infectious diseases at bay, and by pushing the boundaries of how we diagnose and treat disease.

HHS is the United States government’s principal agency for protecting the health of all Americans and providing essential human services, especially for those who are least able to help themselves. HHS is headed by the Secretary who is the chief managing officer for our family of agencies, including 11 operating divisions, 10 regional offices, as well as the Office of the Secretary.

Administration for Children and Families

logo of the Administration for Children and Families.

The Administration for Children & Families (ACF) is a division of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. ACF promotes the economic and social well-being of families, children, individuals, and communities through a range of programs. ACF’s programs serve a wide variety of groups, including individuals and families with low income, refugees, Native Americans, and many others.

To carry out its mission, ACF awards grants to state and local governments, non-profit groups, faith and community-based organizations, American Indian tribes, and Native American communities. ACF provides technical assistance, guidance, and overall supervision to grant recipients that, in turn, are responsible for direct delivery of services around the world every single day.

Office of Family Assistance

Logo for Office of Family Assistance.

The Office of Family Assistance (OFA) administers several key federal grant programs, including the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and the Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF) program. TANF programs help families foster economically secure households and communities for the well-being and long-term success of children and families. TANF grants are issued to states, territories, and tribes to implement programs that best serve their distinct communities. States, territories and tribes may use TANF funds to provide cash assistance to families with children.

The central purposes of OFA are to:

  • Ensure that parents have the resources they need to care for their children at home
  • Promote responsible fatherhood, engaged parenting, marriage, and healthy relationships
  • Foster the long-term economic mobility, empowerment, and success of all low-income families with employment opportunities, job training and educational support

OFA also administers the Native Employment Works (NEW) program, the Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood discretionary grant program, the Tribal TANF- Child Welfare Coordination discretionary grant program and the Health Profession Opportunities discretionary grant program.