Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly finding its way into government programs and everyday agency work, but many public agencies are still figuring out how to use these tools responsibly. Govloop will host a webinar on August 20 at 2:30 p.m. ET to discuss a key challenge for government leaders: how to benefit from AI while protecting sensitive information, maintaining security, and preserving public trust.

This webinar will focus on that challenge and will help leaders think through what responsible AI use looks like in practice. It will highlight concerns like “shadow AI,” where staff may use AI tools without clear guidance or oversight, and will emphasize the importance of simple, practical rules so agencies know how AI is being used across their systems.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, this resource is especially important because TANF programs collect sensitive personal and financial information to make decisions that directly affect families’ stability. The webinar may help staff and leaders start conversations about when AI might be helpful, what safeguards need to be in place, and how to ensure decisions remain fair, transparent, and accountable. It can provide support for TANF agencies in exploring innovation in a thoughtful way—so new tools improve service delivery without putting client trust, privacy, or program integrity at risk.

Every interaction with a participant is an opportunity to build trust. GovLoop will host a webinar on August 10, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. ET to discuss practical strategies for responding to difficult customer experiences with empathy, clear communication, and a focus on problem-solving. The session will highlight how organizations can turn challenging situations into opportunities to strengthen relationships, improve service delivery, and increase customer satisfaction. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners can apply these approaches to enhance participant engagement, resolve concerns more effectively, and create a more positive experience for the individuals and families they serve.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly common tool in workforce services, but knowing when and how to use it effectively is key. This MDRC resource shares lessons from an evaluation of an AI-powered career coaching tool and offers practical guidance on how AI can best support job seekers. The findings highlight how AI can help with early career exploration while reinforcing the importance of personalized support from workforce professionals. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners can use these insights to thoughtfully incorporate AI into employment services, helping participants explore career pathways, training opportunities, and job options while ensuring they receive the guidance needed to make informed decisions.

Men play a vital role in helping children and families thrive, yet they are often overlooked in conversations about foster and kinship care. This Creating a Family podcast episode explores the unique contributions of fathers, grandfathers, uncles, mentors, and other male caregivers, while discussing strategies for engaging and supporting them in meaningful ways. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners who work with kinship and foster families can use this resource to strengthen family engagement, promote inclusive caregiving practices, and better highlight the important role male caregivers play in helping children build safe, stable, and supportive relationships.

The Administration for Native Americans (ANA) announces funds for a National Center for Native Training and Technical Assistance (the Center). The Center will be ANA's primary provider of training and technical assistance (TTA). The goal is to build the capacity of ANA applicants and recipients to implement successful strategies and facilitate sustainable and successful outcomes that strengthen Native American communities. The beneficiaries of TTA are tribes and Native American communities, including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Native Pacific Islander organizations and their partners. 

The Center will assist applicants and recipients to plan, develop, and implement community-driven projects aligned with ANA's goals. The Center will also train communities on leveraging additional resources, complying with federal requirements, and sustaining projects past ANA funding. ANA expects the Center to use innovative and user-friendly solutions for providing TTA in both virtual and in-person formats. The Center will also focus on collecting data to better understand how beneficiaries interact with ANA's TTA and how to improve the success of funded projects. Submissions are due August 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

As the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program marks nearly 30 years, conversations about the program’s original intent is gaining renewed attention. This opinion piece reflects on how families, the workforce, and state programs have changed since welfare reform was first enacted in 1996 and argues that today's policies should be reformed to meet current needs.

This article by the Assistant Secretary of Administration for Children and Families, Alex Adams, and the Office of Family Assistance Director, David Swegle, could serve as a useful discussion starter for TANF practitioners because it encourages thinking beyond day-to-day program operations and considering how policy changes could affect the families they serve. Whether you work directly with participants or help shape program decisions, the resource highlights questions about balancing work, family stability, and long-term economic mobility. It can also support conversations with colleagues about how TANF can continue helping families overcome barriers to employment while adapting to today's economic realities.

Kin caregivers often step in unexpectedly to care for children and may not realize they are eligible for support. This Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network fact sheet explains how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) can help relatives raising children by providing financial assistance and connecting families with additional services. TANF practitioners can use this resource to better inform kin caregivers about available supports, answer common questions, and ensure families receive the assistance they need. This fact sheet can also be a useful tool for expanding awareness of TANF and helping caregivers access resources that promote stability for the children in their care.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs are exploring new ways to improve services while helping staff meet growing demands. This MDRC video examines how organizations can thoughtfully evaluate artificial intelligence (AI) tools before using them to support clients. Rather than focusing only on technology, the video offers practical guidance for selecting tools that improve service delivery, protect client information, and complement staff expertise. TANF leaders and practitioners can use these insights to make informed decisions about incorporating AI into programming and identify opportunities to enhance client engagement without compromising trust or program quality.

In July 2026, the Administration for Children and Families released notice of funding opportunities for two highly anticipated competitive kinship navigator funding opportunities. Applications are due August 7, 2026.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs frequently support grandparents and other relatives who step in to care for children during difficult times. This resource explains federal funding opportunities available to Kinship Navigator Programs, which help caregivers connect with services such as financial assistance, legal support, health care, and community resources. TANF practitioners may want to consider strengthening partnerships with kinship organizations in pursuit of these grants to improve referrals and ensure the caregivers they work with receive the support they need to create stable homes for children. Additional supporting information is provided, including a toolkit for developing kinship navigator programs, a list of kinship navigator programs across the country, and a webinar recording examining which federally approved kinship navigator program model is right for your state or Tribe.