As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, food assistance programs have transitioned to limited or no in-person support for the populations they serve. This has impacted low-income communities of color which do not have internet access, as well as rural areas with limited digital technology options. This blogpost cites examples of food assistance organizations which have used alternative means for reaching these populations and presents three strategies that organizations can utilize to meet the needs of food insecure communities with limited or no digital access.

This set of recordings are from a three-day workshop convened on May 20, May 25, and May 27, 2021 which explored COVID-19’s effect on students’ learning and mental health. The workshop focused on the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on children of color, children who have special health needs and learning difficulties, and children who are living in poverty. Presentations included lived experience perspectives and experts who discussed learning loss, mental health, and social-emotional learning.

This brief reviews lessons learned by family treatment courts (FTCs) in the case of parental substance use disorder. FTCs can support positive outcomes such as improved recovery, increased child welfare involvement, timelier reunification for families, and permanency. The brief outlines approaches that FTCs deploy, such as early identification and timely access to treatment, peer recovery coaches, intensive case management and case coordination, building rapport and trust through supportive engagement, and face-to-face family time and reunification services when children are placed outside of the home. The brief also includes vignettes on how FTCs have been used in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin; Fairfield County, Ohio; and Tompkins County, New York.

Supportive services are one of 14 program elements of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) youth program that enable individuals to participate in WIOA activities. This second set of resources on providing supportive services to youth includes information on: addressing the needs of runaway or homeless youth; youth exiting the juvenile justice system; legal aid, including children’s law programs; transportation; domestic and intimate partner violence; and youth assessment and case management.

(See also Resources on "domestic violence" in the Resource Library)

Supportive services are one of 14 program elements of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) youth program that enable individuals to participate in WIOA activities. This first set of resources on providing supportive services to youth includes information on: Supportive Services Guides and Locators; the TANF Program and state contacts; the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) and State CCDF contacts; the State Child Support Enforcement Program; guidance and support for individuals with disabilities; the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; the Foster Care to Success Education Training Voucher Program; and health, mental health, and substance abuse resources.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation brief summarizes results from a 2019 needs assessment of the capacity of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs in 54 states and territories. The assessment examined data used for program improvement, monitoring, and evidence-building. The assessment also noted areas for growth and recommends strategies TANF agencies may use to improve their data use.

TANF, enacted in 1996 as a flexible block grant with formula funding, provides states, territories, and tribes support to meet the need in the design of work at these local levels, has created a diverse set of services as well as varying benefit levels and eligibility requirements across states. On TANF’s 25th anniversary, JooYeun Chang, Acting Assistant Secretary for the Administration for Children and Families, notes in this blogpost the challenges TANF agencies face, such as low benefit levels and limited engagement in work activities, and proposes policies and practices agencies can adopt to help alleviate poverty and reduce racial inequity, prepare needy families for the challenges of a post-pandemic economy, and respond to emergency needs.

This report offers four case studies of rural youth apprenticeships in Maine, Arizona, Missouri, and Mississippi, the challenges for each of the respective regions, and their strategies for success. The report begins with a definition of youth apprenticeships and elaborates on the benefits and obstacles in designing, implementing, and sustaining rural apprenticeships.

These Casey Family Services infographics illustrate statewide data on the child welfare system. Information is provided on the rate of children in foster care; the number of children who are involved in investigations for child abuse, receive services, and who enter foster care; and a breakdown of how much is invested in foster care (Title IV-E) compared to prevention and permanency services (Title IV-B). Also provided are percentages for the reasons why children enter foster care and why they encounter repeated maltreatment; the number of children under the age of 18 who live in foster care; and a breakdown of reasons why children exited the foster care system. State-specific fact sheets also summarize these data.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report is a case study of how the University of Florida’s ELEVATE program transitioned from a five-session, in-person Healthy Marriage and Relationship Education program to virtual delivery as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report covers how the shift impacted staff training, participant recruitment and enrollment, program facilitation, participant retention strategies, and staff supervision and support.