This blogpost illustrates the implementation of the A Better Life (ABL) program in Massachusetts–an economic mobility model for public housing residents that incorporates comprehensive case management, community partnerships with local service providers, an escrow savings account, and work requirements. The blogpost identifies how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the nature of the coaching provided by the ABL program to help address ABL participants’ basic and mental health needs and how the pandemic has created opportunity for stronger relationships and trust between participants and coaches as these needs are met. Also discussed are shifts in the goal setting process among participants toward meeting immediate needs and how COVID-19 responses have pushed ABL to a “whole family” approach over centering on individual participants.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report assesses and compares the impact of two models offering cash assistance to Michigan’s TANF recipients to find and keep employment: the Michigan Goal Progress Success (MI-GPS) program (enhancement to Michigan’s TANF program) and the two-step program, the Application Eligibility Period (AEP) followed by the “Partnership. Accountability. Training. Hope.” (PATH) program (Michigan’s existing TANF program). The MI-GPS provides goal-oriented coaching as an enhancement, and AEP/PATH focuses on participation in required work activities. The report reviews the two programs’ implementation as well as the differences in the types of services and assistance delivered, and in employment and earnings outcomes.

The National Association of Workforce Development Professionals (NAWDP) offers a pre-recorded webinar series to provide an overview and introduction to workforce development for new professionals in the field. Curriculum components include: Workforce History; From WIA to WIOA; Policy Layers – How They Work Together and The Importance of Each; Programs and Expected Outcomes; What is LMI?; Working with Business Services; Communication; and Extreme Customer Service. All courses include quizzes and exams, and passing scores are required to attain a Certificate of Completion. Coursework can be accessed and completed at any time between August 17 and September 11. Registration and tuition fees for participating in the Virtual Academy apply to NAWDP members and non-members.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration manages the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessments (RESEA) program, which provides grants to states to assist individuals receiving unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. This set of resources provides updated information on operations, performance reporting, and guidance and tools for compliance with evidence-based requirements of the RESEA program. The resources are intended to support RESEA grantees in meeting the program’s four intended purposes: reduce UI duration through improved employment outcomes; strengthen UI program integrity; promote alignment with the vision of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA); and establish RESEA as an entry point to other workforce system partners.

This report assesses how place-based employment programs can help families navigate support systems, address needs during the pandemic, and help participants reengage with work when the labor market reopens. The report highlights Jobs Plus, an employment program that has been implemented in 35 public housing developments across the country, and includes on-site employment-related services, rent-based work incentives, and a community context supporting work. The community context includes partnerships among local housing agencies, the local workforce development agencies, training providers, employers, and significant social service agencies. The report also highlights evidence of increased earnings among Jobs Plus participants and operational tips for housing agencies as they help families.

This fact sheet briefly outlines the top needs for kin families and potential funding sources to meet these needs. The funding sources include: Social Security Act Title IV-B kinship navigator grants, Family First Transition Act, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and new (and temporary) Federal Medical Assistance Percentage dollars. The fact sheet also offers some pointers on how to develop partnerships that recognize and enhance kinship care programs.

This research to practice brief from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation describes examination of findings from nine rural programs that serve child welfare-involved parents with substance use disorders. The examination was unable to provide information on program effectiveness but does focus on the range of services offered, the targeted population, how funding is blended, and collaborative approaches of these programs. Programs covered in this brief are: Children and Recovering Mothers (CHARM) Care Collaborative (Burlington, Vermont); Iowa Department of Human Services Parent Partner Mentoring Program; Kentucky Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START); Vermont Hub and Spoke Model; Women in Recovery (Tulsa, Oklahoma); The Arizona Families in Recovery Succeeding Together (FIRST) Program; Helen Ross McNabb Center (HRMC) Great Starts Program and Motivating our Mothers to Succeed Silver Linings and Rise to Recovery Models (Knoxville, Tennessee); and Parent-Child Assistance Program (Washington State).

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. The Council seeks to develop an effective structure for interagency collaboration and to use federal officials to promote careers and economic mobility for low-income Americans. The Council requests input from stakeholders (such as state and local government agencies, local program operators, and the people that they serve) through a request for information (RFI). The RFI includes questions such as: What priorities should the new Council have? What suggestions do you have on how to make federal workforce and work support programs work together more effectively? and What barriers do these programs encounter for them to work effectively? The deadline for comments is October 2, 2020.

The Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) will host a webinar on August 13, 2020 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET to address questions from the field about how to strengthen families. Questions can be philosophical or mundane, and participation is welcome to all. There will also be presentations from representatives from CSSP and the Children’s Trust Fund Alliance.

A webinar about the Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse will be held on Wednesday, August 12, 2020 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ET. The Pathways Clearinghouse is a new resource funded by the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) of the Administration for Children and Families. Designed to meet the needs of employment service providers and TANF administrators and support the use of evidence-based practices, the Pathways Clearinghouse provides trustworthy, accessible information about what works to help job seekers with low incomes find and sustain employment. During this discussion, a panel of experts from Mathematica and OPRE will:

• Identify why and how the Pathways Clearinghouse website is relevant and useful;
• Demonstrate website functionalities and features; and
• Navigate the site and walk through practical examples of how it can be used.

Contact PathwaysClearinghouse@mathematica-mpr.com with any questions or concerns.

Please note: Anyone needing assistance before the webinar should contact events@mathematica-mpr.com. Please email any requests for special accommodations by August 10, 2020.