Benefit cliffs describe incremental increases in income that result in major, destabilizing losses to critical benefits. The cliffs are a major impediment to families successfully participating in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Employment and Training (E&T) services and transitioning from assistance into family-sustaining wages. Depending on the state and wage, the new job may come with the loss of other benefits like Medicaid or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families as well. This American Public Human Services Assocation brief explores the challenges SNAP E&T participants face during the critical first months after they have obtained unsubsidized employment.

Read part one here.

Even in areas with strong public transit, many low-income families face transportation barriers that limit their access to good jobs. Vehicles for Change (VFC) is tackling this head-on, not just by providing cars, but by equipping individuals with the skills to maintain them and create a career path for themselves through their groundbreaking Virtual Reality (VR) Auto Technician Training Program. The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals hosted a webinar where attendees will hear about:

• The impact of reliable transportation and VR-powered skills training on breaking the cycle of generational poverty;
• A new training approach with VR; and
• National expansion plans.

Toxic stress and trauma are unfortunate and common experiences, affecting many individuals’ abilities to succeed in education, employment, and life at large. Recent studies show that 60-70% of adults have experienced at least one of the most common types of traumatic experiences, adverse childhood experiences (ACE). Individuals with two ACEs are 1.5 times more likely to have employment struggles, 1.4 times more likely to be absent from work (2 out of 30 days), and 1.8 times more likely to have financial issues. This Corporation for a Skilled Workforce blogpost explains different traumas and how trauma or toxic stress can show up in workforce development.

Latino parents with low incomes were especially hard-hit by COVID-19 pandemic-related closures and disruptions to their jobs and to their childcare arrangements — challenges exacerbated by Hispanic workers’ structural concentration within industries and occupations that offer few benefits and flexibilities needed to respond to childcare disruptions. This Hispanic Research Center brief presents findings on employment patterns among these parents and on workplace flexibilities adopted (or not) by the industries in which they are employed and discusses potential programmatic and policy interventions to support family well-being and childcare needs moving forward.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) theme for Human Trafficking Prevention Month 2024 is Activate Connections to Prevent Human Trafficking, designed to highlight the importance of collaborating across multiple sectors to build human trafficking prevention initiatives that work. Human trafficking cannot be prevented by any one individual, community, organization, or government. This HHS toolkit aims to educate and equip individuals and organizations to share resources to increase awareness, foster connections, and ultimately strengthen individuals, families, and communities. The first week will introduce readers to Human Trafficking Prevention Month and provide introductory information about human trafficking. Weeks two through five will explore activating connections to promote health and well-being, including economic mobility. Sample social media posts, sample email and newsletter content, and resources that HHS encourages all to share throughout the month of January are included.

Connecting children, youth, and families to the services they need is critical, but it can be a challenge for child welfare agencies and community providers. This Chapin Hall Evidence-Based Practice Desk Guide allows case workers and providers to make informed decisions and ensure a good fit between clients and the services they receive. This tool focuses on programs proven to support family well-being and stability. Services areas include mental health treatment, substance abuse prevention and treatment, and in-home parent skill-based programs.

The Retaining Employment and Talent After Injury/Illness Network (RETAIN) demonstration aims to help workers with recently acquired injuries and disabilities remain in the labor force. Following a pilot phase, the U.S. Department of Labor awarded cooperative agreements to state agencies in Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, and Vermont to fully implement RETAIN services. These five RETAIN programs aim to identify and recruit a subset of workers who could be at risk of exiting the labor force and applying for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This Mathematica brief compares the characteristics of people who enrolled in RETAIN in 2022 with all workers and with applicants for SSDI and SSI.

While most employment coaching and other employment services are offered in a program office, school, other community location, or virtually, emerging evidence suggests that offering employment services in a participant’s home may have some important advantages. It puts the program staff and the participant on a more equal footing and encourages a strong relationship between them; it allows the program staff to gain richer information about participants’ strengths and areas of need; and it is easier, less costly, and less time-consuming for participants. This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation brief describes why employment service practitioners more generally might consider offering services in participants’ homes. It also offers some considerations for program practitioners.

In the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), young adults and adults, ages 18-49, who do not have dependents and are not pregnant, are considered Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWDs). ABAWDs cannot receive SNAP benefits for more than 3 months within a 3-year period unless they meet the ABAWD work requirement or are exempt. This Administration for Children and Families letter provides information and resources on new exceptions for the ABAWD time limits and work requirements in SNAP. The information can assist youth and young adults experiencing homelessness and transitioning out of foster care who are eligible for SNAP benefits.