Webinar / Webcast
While the U.S. economy has changed significantly in recent years, little information exists on the size and development of the “green economy.” The U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) defines green jobs broadly as those that encompass work in conservation, regulation, and decarbonization, including job classifications in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and environmental management.
January, 2022
Webinar / Webcast
The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on the livelihoods, finances, and well-being of millions of individuals in Indian Country. Compounding the burden of job losses are widespread school shutdowns and the lack of affordable child care, which simultaneously hinder TANF-participating parents, particularly mothers, from gaining meaningful employment while imposing additional costs on already tight family resources. These trends present urgent and essential demands on Tribal TANF programs.
October, 2021
Presentation
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) conducted the 2021 National TANF Directors’ Meeting from September 20 - 24, 2021. During this innovation station presentation, the speaker showcased Workforce 1 Connect (WF1), a communication tool created by the Minnesota Department of Human Services and the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
September, 2021
Webinar / Webcast
The Office of Family Assistance hosted a webinar on April 28, 2021 to review the role technological literacy plays in ensuring workforce success. In this discussion, speakers defined technological literacy and how it promotes equity by equipping job seekers across generations with the skills they need to succeed at work. Presentations explored the importance of prioritizing access, digital literacy, and digital inclusion for TANF populations. Speakers also discussed ways in which these areas overlap with technological literacy.
April, 2021
Policy Announcement / Memoranda
The U.S. Interagency Council on Economic Mobility, a new federal interagency effort, includes the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), along with the Social Security Administration; the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Education, Labor, Housing and Urban Development, and Treasury; and the Council of Economic Advisors.
October, 2020
Policy Announcement / Memoranda
The Online Work Readiness Assessment (OWRA) tool will no longer be available for download after September 29, 2020. Funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, OWRA is a web-based tool that offers social service agency caseworkers and staff an innovative approach to creating a plan for participants that summarizes their strengths and barriers and recommends placement into work activities and work supports.
September, 2020
Stakeholder Resource
Through the TANF Works! Series, the Office of Family Assistance seeks to disseminate information about promising practices within the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) field that can be scaled or adapted by other programs. The series includes three components:
April, 2020
Webinar / Webcast
The Office of Family Assistance hosted a webinar on Wednesday, February 26 entitled Improving Employment Outcomes for TANF Recipients with Substance Use Disorders. The webinar outlined employment-focused strategies that can contribute to, rather than inhibit, substance use treatment and featured experts with backgrounds in research and practice on working with TANF recipients who have substance use disorders. Speakers discussed national trends in substance use disorders and strategies to move those with substance use disorders towards treatment, employment, and economic stability.
February, 2020
Video
This video covers highlights from the “Thriving Communities for a Better Southern Nevada” meeting that was held in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 10, 2020. This event, hosted by the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) and Las Vegas-Clark County, Nevada, brought together a local planning team, community leaders, and practitioners who discussed constructive measures to help individuals overcome barriers to employment and improve their families’ economic well-being and mobility.
January, 2020
Stakeholder Resource
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services has adopted an innovative approach to preparing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) participants for employment: fully integrating relationship skills education into its work readiness program. By transforming its TANF orientation process to focus on soft skills development and navigating workplace relationships, the agency’s integrated approach is laying a foundation for helping TANF participants obtain and sustain employment.
September, 2019