In September 2024, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) continued its investment in economic mobility with a gathering of state government officials from across ACF’s Region V. This gathering emphasized the role states can play in engaging families in the policy process, including working with philanthropy to ensure funding for creative solutions to problems confronting parents, and actively collaborating with state legislators to ensure the actionability of legislative solutions. This ACF resource provides a recap of the Region V summit, including an overview of each state’s innovative strategies to support expectant parents and the parents of young children. Strategies highlighted include the creation of a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) engagement unit in Illinois, expansion of Medicaid coverage for 12 months postpartum in Indiana, the launching of Family Connects in Ohio and Family Impacts Teams project in Michigan, standing up of the newly created Department of Children, Youth, and Families in Minnesota, and the creation of the Wisconsin Child Support Parent Advisory Group.

The National Youth Employment Coalition will host a virtual workshop on November 7, 2024 at 2:30 p.m. ET to discuss the challenges faced by youth and young adults re-entering society after incarceration, a population often overlooked and underserved. The discussions will explore the concept of social determinants of health, which significantly impact this group's well-being and reintegration. Through sharing lessons learned and best practices, the goal of the workshop is to empower youth workforce partners and members with innovative strategies to support those transitioning back into their communities. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the unique barriers faced by this population and learn about healing-centered engagement strategies to foster holistic well-being.

The National Association for Workforce Development Professionals will host a webinar in recognition of Native American Heritage Month on November 14, 2024 at 1:00 p.m. ET. This webinar will delve into the unique opportunities and benefits of partnering with Native American workforce development programs serving Urban, Rural, and Reservation-based Native American Communities. The session will provide practical advice on how to effectively collaborate with these Native Workforce Development Programs by highlighting the mutual benefits and opportunities to impact Native American communities. The session will also cover essential topics such as communication, coordination, and co-enrollment practices, and will explore the barriers and challenges that face the Native Workforce, providing options and strategies to overcome them.

Sectoral training programs train people for jobs in industries where there is strong local demand and the opportunity for career advancement. Several sectoral training models for jobs in technology have proven effective in improving long-term earnings for workers with low incomes. But many people still do not have access to these programs because the programs may be too far from home or too costly. The Google Career Certificates Fund provides funding for training providers to support 20,000 learners. Providers combine Google Career Certificates, which offer online instruction in sector-specific skills, and outcomes-based loans, in which learners are only required to pay for training and related costs if they find jobs above a certain income threshold. This MDRC brief evaluates and describes the potential of the Google Career Certificates Fund initiative as well as the sectoral training field more broadly in facilitating equitable access to career paths in technology.

Beginning in April 2023, states began “unwinding” the pandemic-related continuous coverage requirement in Medicaid, which prohibited states from disenrolling Medicaid enrollees during the public health emergency. The unwinding process revealed that many states’ systems and renewal processes have been out of compliance with federal requirements, with many of the compliance issues disproportionately affecting children. This Urban Institute resource proposes that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services could provide stronger federal oversight and accountability for improving Medicaid eligibility and redetermination systems to ensure eligible children retain coverage.

In the U.S., 1 in 10 young adults experience homelessness each year, with disproportionate impacts on American Indian and Alaska Native, Black, multiracial, and Hispanic youth and youth who have been involved with the child welfare or juvenile justice systems. Current housing solutions for youth homelessness often lack flexibility or are not readily available, leaving many young adults waiting long periods of time without stable housing. However, the Cash Plus Model offers a promising alternative — pairing direct cash transfers with youth-driven supportive services to empower young adults in securing safe, stable housing. Chapin Hall has developed two briefs: one describing the Cash Plus Model and the second evaluating the Cash Plus Model implementation in New York City and San Francisco.

Traffickers exploit individuals through economic coercion or abuse. Many individuals who experience trafficking are not allowed to decide when or how to earn money, keep their earnings, or control their personal finances. A provision in the Fair Credit Reporting Act serves as an important tool for helping people who have experienced trafficking; the Debt Bondage Repair Act (DBRA) allows for removal of adverse credit information resulting from someone’s trafficking experience. This Office on Trafficking in Persons resource highlights DBRA success stories where individuals in California and Arizona were able to remove adverse credit information that accumulated during their trafficking experience.

In response to the joint memo from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service where they expressed their awareness of increasing reports of Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) theft, Congress passed the Consolidated Continuing Appropriations Act in December 2022 to outline provisions for the use of federal funds to replace stolen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. This ACF program instruction provides guidance to states in the use of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds to support families facing an economic crisis, primarily due to the loss of TANF benefits stolen via card skimming, card cloning, and other similar fraudulent methods.

The Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is working closely with state and federal partners, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) retailers, Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) processors, and other industry experts to protect SNAP benefits and combat SNAP fraud. Fraud will not be tolerated in FNS programs, as benefit theft victimizes low-income people who rely on these benefits to feed their families. This FNS webpage highlights resources for SNAP participants, state agencies, and SNAP retailers to minimize benefit theft or address stolen benefits. The resource also offers a Question-and-Answer section on benefit theft.

Healthy food choices are in abundance for most Americans. Fresh fruits and vegetables are just a short car ride away, if not within walking distance. But, for Native American citizens, that is not always the case. This PBS video highlights a chef representing the Pascua Yaqui tribe and a Partnership with Native Americans (PWNA) member discussing what they are doing to address food access and food sovereignty. This video also discusses how the Native American Food Movement is supporting a return to healthy and traditional diet in Indian county.