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.

This brief is part of the Emerging Practice Series of the Office of Family Assistance’s Integrating Innovative Employment and Economic Stability Strategies (IIEESS) initiative, which highlights the strategies of TANF agencies and their partners to help low-income individuals gain and sustain meaningful employment. Each brief describes an emerging practice that has been implemented in one site, an overview of the program model, and the results that have been achieved. Compelling stories of participants’ success and suggestions from TANF agency staff to their peers provide actionable insights and on-the-ground perspectives.

The Office of Family Assistance will be livestreaming sessions from the 2019 National Tribal TANF/NEW Summit on September 16-17, 2019, and the 2019 National TANF State Directors’ Meeting, Helping Families to Overcome: Partnering to Build a Stronger Society on September 17-19, 2019. Both events will be held in Arlington, Virginia, and will provide state, tribal, and territory TANF administrators, staff, and stakeholders with actionable and replicable implementation strategies for improving employment and self-sufficiency outcomes for customers and families.

Sessions to be livestreamed include:

Coaching as a Strategy for Supporting Client Success
September 16th, 9:00 a.m. – 10:15 am ET
This plenary will provide an overview of the intersections between executive functioning and coaching, and then dive deeper into the importance of coaching and its impact on a client’s long-term goals and employment. 

Tribal TANF and NEW Fiscal Management 101
September 16th, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET
The first of two sessions that will focus on fiscal management of TANF and NEW programs and is especially relevant for any staff involved with program finances. It will cover a variety of financial management topics, including how OFA informs programs of grant awards and how to understand grant Terms and Conditions. Speakers will explain procedures for funding draw downs, financial reporting due dates, and required reporting submissions.

Tribal TANF and NEW Fiscal Management 201
September 16th, 3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. ET
The second of two sessions that focuses on fiscal management of TANF and NEW programs, and is especially relevant for any staff involved in their program’s finances. Speakers will 1) discuss how internal controls and compliance programs can help tribes protect their TANF programs from fraud and abuse; 2) highlight best practices for maintaining record-keeping systems; 3) explain how programs can prepare for an audit and potential audit resolutions; and 4) highlight why and how finance managers can eliminate unobligated balances.

Promising Practices for Using Creativity to Address Resource Challenges
September 17th, 8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. ET
Several communities will highlight their innovative and impactful workforce and community development programs despite resource constraints. Speakers will share examples ranging from transit to tourism, with the intention of encouraging participants to consider how resource challenges may be reframed as opportunities to spur job creation while providing the community with a needed service.

Tools to Help Tribal TANF and NEW Programs Reach Their Full Potential and Document Their Success!
September 17th, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ET
Tribal TANF and NEW program leaders will be given strategies and tools for identifying meaningful program goals, developing clear and compelling performance measures, and documenting ongoing progress toward improving outcomes for tribal members and communities.

Greeting from ACF and OFA/OFA Director Carter’s Vision: Rethinking the American Safety Net
September 17th, 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET
Director Carter will provide his insights on the need to transform the American Safety Net by grounding it in a collection of core values and supporting principles, and engaging all sectors of society. This transformative effort would redefine how American society assists vulnerable individuals and families so they can grow beyond their need for supports.

Strategies for Addressing the Opioid Crisis
September 17th, 2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. ET
Addiction and the misuse of opioids is a health emergency that affects the quality of life, economy, and social cohesion of communities across the United States. Speakers will describe different approaches to addressing the opioid crisis, from direct service interventions that emphasize the importance of stabilizing the entire family, to a range of community-based supportive services such as capacity-building, technical assistance, and culturally-sensitive approaches. 

Young Adult Participant Success Panel
September 17th, 3:45 p.m. – 4:45 p.m. ET
The TANF program provides family assistance to create a stable foundation and economic opportunities for low-income youth. Growing up in a low-income household creates uniquely challenging circumstances for children, making it critically important to focus on this population. Young participants in TANF programs will share their experiences and their successes in working towards economic stability and a brighter future.

Insights from ACF Leadership
September 18th, 8:55 a.m. – 10:25 a.m. ET
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is committed to helping families through difficult circumstances through a broad range of activities. Participants will hear from ACF Leadership in the Office of Head Start, Office of Child Support Enforcement, Office of Child Care, and Office of Family Assistance about collaborative efforts to improve social services through economic growth and work-based public policies.

Shifting the Poverty Paradigm: Moving to Results that Matter
September 18th, 10:35 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. ET
Human service agencies across America are exploring how to achieve whole-family outcomes for those they serve by transitioning procurement systems to an outcomes-oriented approach, which rigorously tracks priority outcomes using data and incentives to improve the impact of services. Speakers will showcase the outcomes-oriented work in Washington state by the Ballmer Group, the lessons learned, and the achievements in the context of the broader national outcomes’ movement that Third Sector Capital Partners has spearheaded around the country.

H2O Family Forum
September 18th, 2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. ET
The TANF program can help individuals overcoming significant obstacles on their path toward economic mobility and self-sufficiency. In the theme of Helping Families to Overcome (H2O), previous participants will share their stories and the initiatives they have taken to transcend barriers and use their experiences as a catalyst to create change for themselves and their communities.

TANF Data Collaborative: Assessment of TANF Data Analytic Needs and Plans to Address Them
September 19th, 10:30 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. ET
Data is essential for programs to evaluate how well they are helping needy families. As part of the TANF Data Innovation (TDI) project, a needs assessment of TANF state agencies was conducted in early 2019 that focused on the use of TANF data and other related state program data, priorities for data analysis and research, and states’ preferences on technical assistance.  Speakers will provide an overview of the states’ research and analysis on data infrastructure, data sharing, priorities for data use, and use of employment and earnings data. They will also describe how the TANF Data Collaborative, an initiative of TDI, is planning on addressing the identified needs through a robust pilot and training and technical assistance effort.

Listening and State Sharing Session with OFA Leadership
September 19th, 1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. ET
Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a dialogue with OFA leadership on TANF policies and implementation, including current and emerging trends, challenges, and service-delivery innovations.

WIOA and TANF Integration: Uncovering the Benefits of Blending Funding through Interagency Services Agreements
September 19th, 2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. ET
Since the enactment of Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), TANF agencies and workforce development/labor agencies have taken steps to align their services to best help TANF such as fund blending and braiding. Yet, there are often barriers to this blending and braining of funds such as different rules between agencies and resistance to organizational change. Participants in this workshop will hear how Massachusetts overcame such challenges using Interagency Service Agreements (ISAs), which set expectations for collaboration, service delivery, and performance.

Legislative Perspectives from Capitol Hill on TANF Reauthorization
September 19th, 4:10 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET
Interest is building in substantive TANF reforms but is there time and enough political consensus to make it happen? Key staff from Senate Finance and House Ways and Means committees will discuss Congressional priorities for welfare reform, provisions of current TANF proposals, and possible timelines.

On Wednesday, September 13th from 2:00-3:30 p.m. EDT, the Office of Family Assistance hosted the second webinar in our series on helping TANF clients develop social capital. The first webinar in the series was held in April 2016 and may be viewed by using this link. The webinar series emphasizes the importance of building social connections and relationships that can enhance economic well-being among low-income families. Research has demonstrated that social capital provides valuable assets for families as they move out of poverty. This webinar offered an opportunity to hear the latest ideas, models, and practices around the development of social capital among low-income families. It featured three programs with experience implementing and developing social capital with low income families as they move toward employment and self-sufficiency. 

This Office of Family Assistance webpage is a directory of free resources available for Temporary Assistance for Needy (TANF) block grant programs and other federal workforce development programs. This 2025 edition of the Catalog includes 24 identified toolkits that were published by federal agencies, state agencies, research organizations, and workforce stakeholders. Each featured resource aligns with ACF priorities and uplifts the presidential administration’s streamlining of fragmented workforce development programs that have been historically too disconnected from propelling workers into secure, well-paying, and high-need American jobs. They include information on collaborating with employers, strengthening registered apprenticeship programs, linking community college or job training into sequential credentials, starting a Career Pathways initiative, and engaging state, local, and county partners.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs play a critical role in helping families move toward employment, stability, and long-term economic mobility, including through the use of career pathways, which are connected sequences of education, training, and work experiences that help individuals progress through chosen fields. STAR has created a catalog of career pathway toolkits to help TANF programs plan career pathway initiatives. 

To accompany the Career Pathways Toolkit Catalog, these Starter Pathways are designed to help TANF administrators and staff navigate the toolkits more efficiently and intentionally. 

Users can begin with Starter Pathways to identify where to start planning based on their role and quickly access the most relevant toolkit sections based on their career pathways goals.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs play a critical role in helping families move toward employment, stability, and long-term economic mobility, including through the use of career pathways, which are connected sequences of education, training, and work experiences that help individuals progress through chosen fields. STAR has created a catalog of career pathway toolkits to help TANF programs plan career pathway initiatives. 

To accompany the Career Pathways Toolkit Catalog, these Guided Use Cases offer short, practical explainers that show how TANF programs can apply selected tools to common implementation challenges. TANF administrators and staff can use these Guided Use Cases to quickly identify which tools are most relevant, when to use them, and how they can support TANF program goals.

Did you know that Administration for Children and Families (ACF) programs can help communities meet crucial needs after a disaster? ACF will host two 90-minute webinars highlighting updated guidance on program waivers and flexibilities available during emergencies. 

Program offices will share how funds can be used, how to meet administrative requirements, and how these flexibilities as outlined on the ACF Emergency and Disaster Waivers and Flexibilities webpage can support recovery efforts and continuity of human services for disaster survivors.

ACF program award recipients, state human services staff, and state emergency managers are welcome to attend!

• On March 11, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. ET, presenting programs will include: Administration for Native Americans, Office of Community Services, Office of Family Assistance, Office of Family Violence Preventions and Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement, and Office on Trafficking in Persons.
• On March 18, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. ET, presenting programs will include: Children's Bureau, Family and Youth Services Bureau, Office of Child Care, Office of Child Support Enforcement, and Office of Head Start. 

Did you know that Administration for Children and Families (ACF) programs can help communities meet crucial needs after a disaster? ACF will host two 90-minute webinars highlighting updated guidance on program waivers and flexibilities available during emergencies. 

Program offices will share how funds can be used, how to meet administrative requirements, and how these flexibilities as outlined on the ACF Emergency and Disaster Waivers and Flexibilities webpage can support recovery efforts and continuity of human services for disaster survivors.

ACF program award recipients, state human services staff, and state emergency managers are welcome to attend!

• On March 11, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. ET, presenting programs will include: Administration for Native Americans, Office of Community Services, Office of Family Assistance, Office of Family Violence Preventions and Services, Office of Refugee Resettlement, and Office on Trafficking in Persons.
• On March 18, 2026 at 1:30 p.m. ET, presenting programs will include: Children's Bureau, Family and Youth Services Bureau, Office of Child Care, Office of Child Support Enforcement, and Office of Head Start. 

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the State of Iowa are launching a first-of-its-kind partnership to modernize Iowa’s child welfare information system, creating a new, user-friendly technology platform designed to improve caseworker efficiency and strengthen services for children and families. This initiative is built on user-centered design and robust data and aims to free frontline staff from outdated systems, enabling better decision-making that supports family stability and permanency. Alongside the launch of ACF’s new Child Welfare Technology Incubator to help other states scale similar innovations, this effort aligns with broader federal goals to improve outcomes and keep families safely together.

The Office of Family Assistance (OFA) is excited to offer the opportunity to receive technical assistance on strengthening employment and relational outcomes for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) participants by integrating new and effective approaches for meeting the economic and social needs of families. State and Tribal TANF programs and their partner organizations that support TANF purposes are welcome to express interest in receiving technical assistance to strengthen employment and relational outcomes of customers.

The Family Routes Initiative supports the integration of evidence-based Healthy Marriage and Responsible Fatherhood (HMRF) practices, approaches that help build and sustain healthy marriages, strengthen positive father-child interactions, and build skills employers seek (e.g., soft skills, goal setting, self-regulation, accountability, and personal responsibility).

What Does the Family Routes Initiative Offer?

Selected participants may receive:

• Tailored assistance aligned to program goals and context
• Support adapting evidence-based HMRF practices for local needs
• Practical tools and resources to strengthen family outcomes

To express interest, please contact: familyroutes@deloitte.com.