The Ready4Work initiative is jointly funded through the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOL ETA), the U.S. Department of Justice, the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Ford Foundation. This is a guide that was authored through Public/Private Ventures and examines the early implementation of Ready4Work and reports on the best emerging practices in four key program areas. Last year, around 650,000 adults were released from prisons in the United States. Therefore, engaging reentering individuals into the workforce is particularly important for States and counties.

This is the process evaluation of the Oklahoma Marriage Initiative (OMI), which was sponsored through the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. The OMI is the longest and most comprehensive marriage program in the country, and this report shows the extent to which the OMI has reached vulnerable families. Specifically, around five to ten percent of Oklahoma families have participated in OMI workshops, and every county in the State has been reached.

This resource is from the U.S. Department of Labor on how workforce investment board (WIBs) and faith-based and community organization (FBCO) grantees have worked effectively together. Such partnerships can transform the performance and capacity of the workforce system, communities, and regional economies. The grantees have developed programs that can help local communities align resources, support families with multiple barriers in transitioning into the workforce, and sustaining and growing collaboration.

Created in 2005, the Prisoner Reentry Initiative (PRI) is a joint endeavor of the U.S. Departments of Labor and Justice. The Initiative seeks to strengthen urban communities that experience a high number of returning prisoners through employment-centered projects that include job training, housing referrals, mentoring, and other comprehensive transitional services. This evaluation found that among PRI grantees, two-thirds of clients are placed in unsubsidized employment within three weeks.

This report is from Mathematica Policy Research with funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation. This report specifically outlines the results from a 30-month impact evaluation on the Building Nebraska Families (BNF) program, which seeks to better serve rural TANF participants with multiple barriers to work. Researchers found that this program was effective in increasing employment and reducing poverty among this population.

The U.S. Department of Labor, Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives and the Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice, in conjunction with the Council of State Governments Justice Center published this resource for state government officials and representatives of faith-based and community organizations. This guide offers information on how to create and sustain collaborative efforts to reduce recidivism and to help people returning to the community from prisons or jails lead productive and law-abiding lives.

This manual was produced as a collaborative effort of the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC), the National Foster Parent Association (NFPA), and the Collaboration to AdoptUsKids. It was produced with funds from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau. This is a comprehensive guide, covering everything needed to create and manage a respite program. The first three sections outline step-by-step guidelines for designing and implementing respite services: Exploring the Benefits of Respite, Exploring Respite Options, and Developing Your Respite Program. The final section, Forms, contains a large array of sample documents which may be freely adapted to meet the needs of local programs. The forms available include Respite Billing, Emergency Service Authorization, Parent Checklist, Event Evaluation, Respite Provider Agreement, and others.

This Teleconference took place on November 18, 2008 as part of a follow-up to the Rural Communities Academy that occurred in September 2008. Many participants expressed some interest in learning more about how to utilize AmeriCorps volunteers in their program, as well as in their community. This teleconference includes five presentations on how to utilize AmeriCorps in rural programs as well as a question and answer session.

This resource, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, provides answers to common questions on the Tribal TANF Final Rule. There are answers to questions on TANF assistance, funding, uses of Tribal TANF grants, work activities, and data reporting.

The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996 gave tribal governments’ new authority to structure and administer their own cash assistance, employment and training, child care, and child support enforcement programs. This report describes some current characteristics of tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs and emerging challenges in serving tribal members through tribal and state TANF programs. It also presents findings from recent studies on welfare reform's impact on tribal members and explores tribal issues likely to be raised during TANF reauthorization in 2002.