Many parents receiving assistance from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) face serious barriers to employment. Sometimes called the “hard to employ,” these parents typically require enhanced assistance to prepare for, find, and keep…

In the foreground of reauthorization the Administration for Children and Families Regions I, II, III, and IV convened the first ever 2010 East Coast TANF Directors’ Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 19-21, 2010. The conference…

For many years the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program has been integrating economic, work, and program services with other safety-net programs to improve the available supports for low-income and working families. The impact…

From the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin, this brief describes the Wisconsin Poverty Project, and how data have been used to provide a view of both needs and resources on the state and local levels. Researchers…

While college attendance has increased over the last thirty years, the proportion of students who complete college has decreased. Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago authored this issue brief which provides data on the educational…

From the College Board, this annual progress report provides a roadmap for educators and policymakers to increase postsecondary education retention. The United States is currently lagging behind in the college completion rate from other…

Chapin Hall conducted this study on multi-system families in Illinois and their use of services. Families using two or more social service programs consume 86 percent of the funding allocated for services. Researchers identify characteristics of…

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) authored this report on the TANF program to assess the state of the TANF program in the midst of the economic recession. Of 21 states surveyed, the TANF caseload grew from June 2008 to June 2009 in 12…