Crittenton Women's Union's Bridge to Self-Sufficiency is a theory of change that takes a multi-faceted approach to fostering economic mobility. The theory describes a person’s advancement from poverty to economic self-sufficiency as a journey across a bridge supported by five critical pillars—family stability, well-being, education and training, financial management, and employment and career management. Coaches work with clients to identify strengths and help them cross the ‘bridge” to long-term goals of economic self-sufficiency.

The federal government provides assistance aimed at helping people with low-incomes who may earn too little to meet their basic needs, cannot support themselves through work, or who are disadvantaged in other ways. With fiscal pressures facing the federal government and the demands placed on aid programs, GAO was asked to examine federal low-income programs. This report: (1) describes federal programs (including tax expenditures) targeted to people with low incomes; (2) identifies the number and selected household characteristics of people in poverty; (3) identifies the number, poverty status, and household characteristics of selected programs' recipients; and (4) examines research on how selected programs may affect incentives to work. For a list of low-income programs that were $100 million in obligations or more in fiscal year 2013, GAO consulted with the Congressional Research Service; surveyed and interviewed officials at relevant federal agencies; and reviewed relevant federal laws, regulations, and agency guidance. GAO also conducted analyses on low-income individuals using Census data on the SPM and official poverty measure and microsimulation data from the Urban Institute that adjusts for under-reporting of benefit receipt in Census survey data. To examine labor force effects, GAO reviewed economic literature.

This blog post highlights a recent Federal initiative, the Upskill Initiative, to help workers of all ages and backgrounds obtain higher-paying jobs. This public and private effort creates pathways for over 20 million workers in front-line jobs who often lack the necessary skills and opportunities to progress into higher-paying jobs and careers. Currently, frontline workers are only half as likely as their higher-skilled colleagues to receive career-advancing training.

Developed in collaboration with the Department of Education, this Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) from the Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration lays out the vision for the one-stop delivery system under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) and links to key technical assistance resources to support states and local areas as they integrate this vision into their one-stop delivery system.

This resource from Generations United focuses on frequently asked questions and resources that may be useful to grandparent and relative caregivers. Oftentimes, TANF is the only financial support available for grandfamilies. The information from this fact sheet can help grandparent and relative caregivers access the supports they need by utilizing TANF and/or other federal programs.

This resource from the U.S. Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services summarizes findings and evidence from various reviews of studies and program evaluations to help stakeholders address childhood exposure to violence and improve outcomes for children, families, and communities.

This guide was created by the Children's Bureau to help caseworkers, foster parents, and other stakeholders learn about trauma experienced by youth in foster care. Additionally, the guide includes treatment options, including approaches other than medication, and strategies for seeking help for foster youth.

This report, from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and ACF, provides an overview of the critical lessons learned from a 2013 roundtable of national and local leaders from promising programs. The roundtable members convened to discuss current efforts to help youth build financial capability through employment programs.

OFA published data on state implementation of the five-year time limit on federally-funded TANF assistance. By law, a state may not use TANF funds to provide assistance to a family that has an adult head-of-household who has received federal assistance for a total of five years (i.e., 60 cumulative months, whether or not consecutive).

This report from Young Invincibles examines the many challenges faced by Millennial parents, a rapidly growing sect of the U.S. population. Young Invincibles developed and analyzed a young parent grouping in the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey data and found that due to lower wages, stagnant employment rates, and rising costs, Millennial parents have experienced the highest poverty rates of young parents in the past 25 years. The report includes comparisons between the average days of Millennials with and without children, as well as policy implications and recommendations.