The COVID-19 pandemic created sudden and substantial hardships for many families with low incomes and also created unprecedented challenges for the operation of benefit programs. States were able to use the TANF program’s existing flexibility to…

This brief provides a graphical overview of some TANF policy differences across states. It includes information about initial eligibility, benefit amounts, work and activity requirements, and ongoing eligibility and time limits.

States have discretion and flexibility in how they use TANF funds to provide services to families experiencing or at-risk of experiencing homelessness. Some states partner with their state-level housing departments, direct providers of…

This research-to-practice brief profiles a needs assessment of TANF child-only cases undertaken as part of the Office of Family Assistance’s Assisting Special Populations to Improve Readiness and Engagement (ASPIRE) project. Researchers first…

This issue brief from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) defines virtual technical assistance (TA) and illustrates the types, use, and effectiveness of virtual…

This Urban Institute brief provides guidance on the uses and practices of evidence-based policymaking made at the state government level. The discussion notes how these applications are drawn from the private sector and are implemented for program…

This brief from the Urban Institute explores building evidence capacity within federal agencies, which has been identified as a priority within the 2017 report from the bipartisan Commission on Evidence-Based Policymaking created by Congress. The…