Rebuilding American Families
The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program is designed to help families achieve stability and move toward long-term self-sufficiency. TANF purposes emphasize strengthening family formation, supporting healthy relationships, and promoting long-term economic security for parents and children.
This webpage provides resources to help state TANF agency staff translate these priorities into practice. The materials are organized around key areas of focus, including marriage and family formation supports, household stability skills, community and faith-based partnerships, family growth and economic planning, maternal and family wellness, youth preparation for family life, and emerging approaches. Each section highlights ways TANF programs can expand beyond basic assistance to offer tools that help practitioners engage families more broadly, address underlying barriers, and support stronger, more stable households. Together, these topics reflect a broader effort to not only meet immediate needs, but to equip families with the foundation for strong relationships and stable homes.
Marriage and Family Formation Supports
Want practical ways to boost your program’s employment outcomes and help advance core purposes of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)? The Office of Family Assistance is sponsoring The Family Routes Initiative (FRI) to assist…
This vignette features a Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program that participated in the Family Routes Initiative Learning Community and expanded their Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) services. This…
This toolkit contains a collection of four one-page resources designed to facilitate strong, collaborative relationships with families. The toolkit includes flyers that can navigate Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners…
In June 2026, the Office of Family Assistance launched the Programming to Build Strong Families and Promote Economic Independence series, designed to provide flexible, practice-informed…
In June 2026, the Office of Family Assistance launched the Programming to Build Strong Families and Promote Economic Independence series, designed to provide flexible, practice-informed…
This webpage offers a comprehensive approach to empowering parents and serves as an example of how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs can think more intentionally about family formation as part of their services. It shows how…
Household Stability Skills
In June 2026, the Office of Family Assistance launched the Programming to Build Strong Families and Promote Economic Independence series, designed to provide flexible, practice-informed…
In June 2026, the Office of Family Assistance launched the Programming to Build Strong Families and Promote Economic Independence series, designed to provide flexible, practice-informed…
Financial stability can play an important role in helping fathers support their children and strengthen their families. Financial Foundations is a free, virtual curriculum designed to help participants build practical skills related to budgeting…
Young people leaving foster care often face financial challenges as they transition to adulthood, including managing money, securing housing, and planning for future goals. This Annie E. Casey Foundation brief introduces their financial…
The National Youth Employment Coalition will host a webinar on May 14, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. to assist workforce development professionals with better understanding and responding to the emotional experiences of young people. For Temporary Assistance…
Self Esteem Boston Educational Institute offers practical tools that help individuals communicate more clearly, listen with intent, and express their needs in a respectful, confident way. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)…
Community and Faith-Based Partnerships
Families often need more than a single service to achieve lasting economic mobility. As a facilitation model for building long-term collaboration between communities, public systems, and nonprofit partners, the Blue Sky Possibilities Framework…
This Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network tipsheet focuses on how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs can support children living with relatives or caregivers who are not receiving full family benefits. It fills a key…
This webpage offers a comprehensive approach to empowering parents and serves as an example of how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs can think more intentionally about family formation as part of their services. It shows how…
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops provides education and guidance on Natural Family Planning, a fertility awareness-based approach that helps individuals understand reproductive cycles to support either pregnancy planning or…
Families thrive when their communities are strong and connected. Yet too often, families face barriers to resources that support well-being, like lack of affordable childcare, safe housing, mental health supports, or job opportunities—barriers…
This report from the Sutherland Institute explores how religious involvement and faith communities can support family stability by fostering commitment, shared values, and social support networks. It reviews evidence suggesting that participation…
Family Growth and Economic Planning
In August 2026, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Department of the Treasury jointly released a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to help states, territories, and Tribes establish and administer…
Estimating child support payments can help families better understand their financial responsibilities and plan for the future. This online calculator provides an estimate of potential child support obligations based on basic financial…
The Administration for Children and Families announced a new Technical Assistance Center to help states, Tribes, and territories implement Fostering the…
Building financial security starts with making sure families know about available opportunities. This Urban Institute resource explores early findings showing that many families who could benefit from new Trump Accounts are unaware the program…
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs have long supported families in building economic stability. This Dear Colleague Letter by the Office of Family Assistance explores how TANF funds may now be used to support Trump Accounts,…
Young people aging out of foster care may face a stark reality. They leave the system at 18 with little financial cushion and few of the family safety nets on which most young adults rely. To address this, federal guidance has been issued by the…
Maternal and Family Wellness Supports
Helping families achieve economic security requires more than employment services. This Child Trends brief examines Virginia's Comprehensive Health Investment Project, a comprehensive case management program that helps families with low incomes…
This National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center recording on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives (MMIWR), domestic violence, and Native maternal health explores the intersection of safety, health, and family well-being in Tribal…
This Office of Family Assistance Information Memorandum (IM) highlights how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds can be used to support families with childcare needs, including parents and caregivers who provide care at home. It…
This Child Care Aware of America webpage provides clear, national data on what families are actually paying for childcare and how those costs affect the ability to work and stay employed. The resource offers resources to help pay and budget for…
FACTS About Fertility provides education on fertility awareness and reproductive health, helping individuals better understand how fertility works and how it can be tracked over time. It helps address gaps in reproductive health knowledge that…
This evidence-based home visiting model pairs first-time parents with registered nurses who provide ongoing support during pregnancy and children’s early years. The Nurse-Family Partnership addresses a critical gap in early family support—…
Youth Preparation for Family Life
Young adults ages 18 to 29 are often expected to make major decisions about work, education, housing, and relationships while they are still figuring out what they want their lives to look like. This Annie E. Casey Foundation podcast introduces…
Young people leaving foster care often face financial challenges as they transition to adulthood, including managing money, securing housing, and planning for future goals. This Annie E. Casey Foundation brief introduces their financial…
Tailored for Success: How Two Programs in Los Angeles Customize Employment Services for Young People
This MDRC report explores how two workforce programs in Los Angeles adapted employment services to better meet the needs of young people. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners serving youth and young parents, this…
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs often serve young people who are expected to move toward independence while still developing basic skills needed for adulthood, such as managing money, maintaining housing, or making…
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs frequently serve youth who are moving into adulthood without stable family support; basic planning around housing, money, and daily decision-making can determine whether they stabilize or…
This Pittsburgh-area workforce development program focuses on helping young people move from instability into real career direction. For youth exiting foster care, that transition can be especially abrupt—suddenly they are expected to manage work…
Emerging Approaches
From the Wheatley Institute at BYU, this report examines how economic shifts, education gaps, and digital engagement patterns are influencing men’s participation in work, relationships, and family life. The resource connects broader structural…
Families are experts in their own experiences, and their perspectives can help improve programs. This Office for Planning, Research and Evaluation toolkit provides practical strategies, tools, and resources for gathering and using family feedback…
This Institute for Family Studies resource looks at how job stability for men and flexible work arrangements for mothers influence decisions around forming and sustaining families. It brings attention to how work conditions shape family life in…
This resource from the Institute for Family Studies explores how online dating is changing the way relationships begin and the potential implications for commitment and long-term family formation. It raises questions about how modern relationship…
Parents who face barriers to employment often need coordinated support to remain actively involved in their children's lives. This Office for Planning, Research and Evaluation report shares lessons learned from programs serving disadvantaged…
Oregon offers an example of how coordination between Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and child support programs can improve services for families. This resource explains how the two programs work together in practice, including…