This series of reports, completed as part of a two-year study by James Bell Associates, describes how tribes use flexible Federal funds for the Promoting Safe and Stable Families program. The reports highlight promising practices tribes have adopted to meet unique challenges they face in managing services to strengthen tribal families, children, and youth. This report is labeled as Issue Paper #1.

This newsletter, from the Family and Youth Services Bureau, gives information on how youth in tribes are often best served through culturally-specific programs. Currently, more than a third of the Native American community is under the age of 18, which makes it important to work with the tribal youth. Tribes are currently working with Family and Youth Services Bureau in an effort to better serve Native youth and families.

By researching sanction policies across four counties in California, this article found that, for the most part, county workers reach out to participants to prevent sanctioning. Specifically, one county has found success with contracting out to community-based organizations to address barriers to work with noncompliant participants. The study also found gaps in case worker and recipient knowledge of sanction policies.

This report from the Welfare Policy Research Project in California examines predicting factors to sanctioning of welfare recipients in 1999 and the affect of sanctioning on future outcomes. It was found that only a small proportion of recipients were sanctioned in a given month. Also, speaking a primary language other than English decreased the likelihood of being sanctioned and the number of months in sanction status. Additionally, having young children also decreased the likelihood of being sanctioned and the number of months in sanction status.

This policy brief gives tips for encouraging saving for retirement of low-income families. It outlines the benefits for state and federal governments to promote retirement saving. Improvements and changes to TANF, food stamps, SSI, and Medicaid programs are outlined.

This report from the Center for the Study of Social Policy reviews State policies that support families, children and low-wage workers while also contributing to states’ economic stability.

This report from GAO examines changes in the overall level of welfare-related spending among nine states, changes in spending priorities for welfare-related nonhealth services, and the contribution of TANF funds to states' spending for welfare-related services. GAO reviewed spending for state fiscal years 1995, 2000, and 2004 and focused on spending for working-age adults and children, excluding the elderly, long-term and institutional care. GAO recommends that Congress should obtain additional information regarding allocation of state TANF dollars.

From the NGA Center for Best Practices, this issue brief outlines key provisions of the Deficit Reduction Act, and reviews the important role that the States play in strategic planning for the upcoming changes. In conclusion, it provides a list of questions to help guide strategic planning and decision-making.

With the ten year anniversary of welfare reform and the Reauthorization of TANF in February 2006, this article outlines States' current regulations prior to implementing the changes under Reauthorization. Under the new regulations, most States will have to greatly increase the work participation among their caseloads to avoid financial penalties. Authors review the current plans of state TANF policies for the ways a family can get on welfare, stay on, and leave assistance.

This brief from the National Center for Children in Poverty reviews the last ten years of welfare reform and provides policy challenges upcoming for the future. While there have been "undeniable successes," the author reviews important factors for moving forward, such as increasing earnings, addressing clients with multiple barriers, and focusing on outcomes for children.