This MDRC report provides findings from the evaluation of Project Rise, which was operated between 2011 and 2015 by five organizations: three were in New York City; one in Newark, New Jersey; and one in Kansas City, Missouri. The project served 18- to 24-year-olds who lacked a high school diploma or the equivalent and had been out of school, out of work, and not in any type of education or training program for at least six months. The report describes how the program operated at each local provider, explains the extent to which participants were engaged, and presents findings related to achievement of the desired outcomes.

The Welfare Indicators Act of 1994 requires the Department of Health and Human Services to prepare annual reports to Congress on indicators and predictors of welfare dependence. The 2016 report on Welfare Indicators and Risk Factors, from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE), provides indicators and risk factors through 2013 for most indicators, reflecting changes that have taken place since the enactment of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) in August 1996.

Twenty years after the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) in 1996, the Manhattan Institute has published this report examining poverty trends over the past two decades. The report focuses primarily on child poverty, deep poverty, and extreme poverty rates.

In 2016, Utah Department of Workforce Services launched the “Family Employment Program (FEP) Refocus Academy” to train FEP case workers on Utah’s new family-focused case management model. The trainings were reinforced with coaching from FEP supervisors. These resources are from the coaching training that the supervisors received.

• Course 1: definition of coaching; elements of effective coaching; reasons behind coaching.
• Course 2: effective communications; how supervisors can develop effective working relationships with and motivate their teams; how to conduct effective coaching sessions.
• Course 3: practice coaching principles.

This newly released issue brief from the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) provides information and examples of how TANF agencies can support postsecondary completion for TANF recipients through work-study programs. Through these programs, TANF recipients may gain vital financial support while working toward credentials, as well as obtain relevant work experience that can improve their chances of finding a job that provides economic stability.

Jobs-Plus is a place-based workforce development model to help public housing residents find employment. The model was tested in six cities between 1998 and 2006 and is now being replicated across the United States. This infographic from MDRC presents the history of the program, shows the evidence behind the approach, and describes its three core components: on-site employment services, rent-based work incentives, and community support for work.

The most recent WIOA regulations described how education and workforce development partners can design and implement a key strategy in career pathways: Integrated Education and Training (IET). IET programs are designed to help participants seek goal-oriented, practical knowledge. This publication from CLASP provides examples of successful IET programs and includes resources for state and local leaders interested in utilizing IET promising practices in their communities.

The Utah Family Employment Program Agreement of Mutual Responsibility establishes terms of partnership between the TANF customer and Department of Workforce Services (DWS) employment counselor to ensure that the customer understands what is required to participate in the Family Employment Program. It is presented here in both English and Spanish.

In 2016, Utah Department of Workforce Services launched the “Family Employment Program (FEP) Refocus Academy” to train FEP case workers on Utah’s new family-focused case management model. The Academy consists of seven training modules plus follow-up activities. The Case Management I Training module addressed Motivational Interviewing, assessment, and engaging with TANF participants. The resources include: Motivational Interviewing I Skills, Sample Questions to Elicit Responses from Customers, Assessment in Action, Family Employment Program: Agreement of Mutual Responsibility (in English and Spanish), Talking Points on the Utah DWS Substance Abuse Determination Process, and a Coaching Guide on Identifying Case Management Skills and Strategies to Use When Working with Customers who Demonstrate Difficult Behavior.

In 2016, Utah Department of Workforce Services launched the “Family Employment Program (FEP) Refocus Academy” to train FEP case workers on Utah’s new family-focused case management model. The Academy consists of seven training modules plus follow up activities. These Academy Training Strategy materials illustrate how the Academy is delivered and include: a cohort training schedule; a timeline for training module rollout throughout the year; and a description of “Throughput Rounds,” which is a tool for supervisors to assess skill transfer and reinforce learning.