TANF Disaster Response & Preparedness Webinar

In 2024, several major hurricanes and tornados across the US contributed to a growing number of climate and weather crises affecting the nation. In the disasters these crises can cause, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) agencies hold a unique opportunity to assist families after a disaster or emergency by leveraging existing program flexibilities. Eligible families can access much needed assistance and services through the TANF program, aiding in their post-disaster recovery process.

In response to these recent disasters, the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) and the Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR) co-created a playbook to highlight the strategies TANF administrators can implement to support families impacted by disasters. PeerTA will be facilitating a webinar with OFA and OHSEPR on December 12, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. ET to highlight this new resource and provide examples of ways that TANF programs have used flexibilities to respond to natural disasters. The webinar will include a presentation on the key features of the playbook, brief presentations from TANF agencies on how they have responded to disaster, and a concluding panel discussion of practical implementations of disaster response methods. Presentations will include:

1. Key features of the TANF Disaster Response & Preparedness Playbook from one of the authors;
2. Hawaii TANF program sharing about their Maui Relief TANF program that provided support to families following wildfires in Lahaina;
3. Owens Valley Career Development Center presenting their process for streamlining the NRST benefits application; and
4. Wisconsin Bureau of Working Families discussing a policy change that allows applicants to report expected income.