The Employment and Training Administration, Department of Labor released a mentoring guidebook to be used within local workforce programs and agencies. The authors indicate that youth are more likely to achieve positive outcomes in academics, social settings, career development, health, and safety if they have supportive relationships with older adults. The guidebook is intended to assist in development and implementation of mentorship programs to improve employment, education, and training outcomes among youth.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, in partnership with ICF International, released a toolkit that intends to equip frontline program staff with fundamental financial empowerment principles, an understanding of consumer financial protection, tools and information to help clients take steps to build and apply money management skills, and a referral guide to link clients to local financial empowerment services. Financial empowerment trainers can use the toolkit to train case managers and other frontline staff that are working with clients in a variety of contexts: asset building programs, TANF and workforce programs, Head Start, refugee resettlement services, programs for at-risk youth, programs serving people with disabilities, and more.

The Institute for Research on Poverty released a discussion paper that explored whether exposure to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) increased during the Great Recession. The study also examined how participation in the program was divided across various racial/ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Findings from the study demonstrated that age was a prominent indicator of participation in WIC, and that socioeconomic differences decreased due to an increase of WIC participation by children from wealthier families.

This report compiles and analyzes information from seven father self-sufficiency/employment programs that were rigorously evaluated. Common implementation themes emerged, including: partnering with job placement and other agencies to serve low-income fathers; enabling vocational specialists to assist fathers on a one-to-one basis; offering a comprehensive range of services to help fathers overcome self-sufficiency barriers; and using incentives to recruit fathers.

This study reviews results of a pilot employment program in New York, a part of the Strengthening Families Through Stronger Fathers Initiative. The program provided employment-oriented services, fatherhood/parenting workshops, case management, and other support services to nearly 4,000 parents behind in their child support in four New York communities. The evaluation shows that these programs successfully helped participants find work and increase their earnings.

This paper documents an approach, used in Connecticut, for outreaching, connecting, and serving low-income, ethnically diverse, non-custodial fathers. The approach focuses on engaging men "where they are" by building their strengths and addressing their needs and helping fathers become positive and healthy role models by increasing their attachment to their children and families. The approach focuses on skill development in several areas, including education, economic stability, family/child support, and mental and physical health.

The Literacy Information and Communication Systems (LINC) Initiative, under the U.S. Department of Education established the Moving Pathways Forward: Supporting Career Pathways initiative to assist States in advancing career pathways systems that support low-skilled adults who are transitioning to postsecondary education and employment. This three-year initiative provides career pathways resources for interested stakeholders, as well as offer technical assistance to States.

The Pew Research Center released a report that explores the costs of not going to college. Authors of the report conducted public opinion polling, demographic research, and utilize empirical data to demonstrate that college graduates fare better than those with less education. The authors cite the declining value of a high school diploma and current employment trends as some of the reasons why students should continue education beyond high school.

CLASP released a fact sheet that highlights the importance of high quality early care and education for young children’s early learning, success in life, and future economic security. The fact sheet includes information about the percentage of children in each State that are experiencing risks related to poor educational outcomes.

The Office of Family Assistance published an article that highlights the benefits of an educated workforce for individual workers and communities. Social Service offices in the State of Arkansas used TANF funds to partner with the local education systems to educate the unemployed through enrollment in post-secondary education.