On September 25 and 26, 2012, Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Administrators along with other key stakeholders gathered in San Francisco for the Region IX 2012 Tribal TANF Technical Assistance Workshop. The central purpose of this workshop was to enable attendees to dialogue with one another and hear from field experts on a variety of critical topics pertaining to Tribal TANF program administration. Attendees were also provided with the opportunity to network amongst their peers and share recent successes and challenges. Over the course of the two-day workshop, a number of important topics were addressed, including: case management to achieve successful outcomes; creating opportunities for Tribal TANF participants via partnerships and collaborations; successful work placements for Tribal TANF participants; TANF penalty process; and supporting Tribal TANF participants with co-occurring substance abuse and mental health disorders.

On August 14 and 15, 2012, State and Territory Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Administrators along with other key stakeholders gathered in San Francisco for the Region IX 2012 TANF Innovations in Action Forum. The central purpose of this forum was to enable attendees to discuss critical issues pertaining to TANF program administration and to explore new strategies for improving TANF programs for low-income and working families in their States and Territories. Attendees were also provided with the opportunity to report on the current status of TANF programs at the local level and to receive updates on current TANF policy developments. Over the course of the two-day forum, a number of important topics were addressed, including: work-oriented programs for vulnerable populations and youth; subsidized employment and transitional jobs programs; innovative case management and service coordination models; career pathways and work study programs for TANF participants; and privatization models and call centers.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Region IX hosted representatives from Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, and Nevada at the 2013 Region IX TANF Peer Collaboration and Technical Assistance Workshop in American Canyon, California on September 10-11, 2013. State and territory representatives shared strategies they are utilizing to improve program performance and outcomes for TANF participants. Experts from the field added to the discussions with presentations on the role of TANF in resolving homelessness; engaging non-custodial parents as a strategy to facilitating family self-sufficiency; utilizing peer mentor approaches to improve client engagement; and emerging research opportunities in the TANF field.

On September 27, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. EDT, the Office of Family Assistance hosted the first Webinar in a series highlighting promising practices for building sustainable subsidized employment programs. This Webinar provided an overview of different types of subsidized employment programs that can work in different settings and with different types of employers; discussed the varied funding streams utilized and strategies for matching subsidized employment opportunities to local labor markets and employer needs; and outlined practical strategies used by peer agencies for creating targeted subsidized employment programs. Presenters for this webinar included representatives from the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, the Oregon Department of Human Services, the city and county of San Francisco Human Services Agency, and MDRC.

The Urban Institute released a document discussing the expanded State and local poverty measures that have been developed by New York City, New York State, the Institute for Research on Poverty, and the Urban Institute itself. State and local expanded poverty measures have been used to provide new insights into poverty among population subgroups and regions of the State; estimate the extent to which government benefits, taxes, and work-related and medical expenses affect poverty; and estimate the effect of potential changes in government programs. The Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality and the Public Policy Institute of California are developing an expanded poverty measure for California and has released their testimony before the California State Senate Human Services Committee.

The Office of Family Assistance hosted the "Leveraging Private/Public Partnerships and Funding to Improve Summer Youth Employment Opportunities" Webinar on Tuesday, December 11, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. EST. This Webinar provided background information on funding strategies for summer youth employment activities and discussed methods for leveraging both public and private funding streams. The Webinar featured speakers from the LA Conservation Corps, the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, ABCD Inc., and the Philadelphia Youth Network. The speakers encouraged those implementing a summer youth employment programs to collaborate with TANF agencies, the business community, community action agencies and other CSBG-funded programs, workforce investment programs, and private foundations in an effort to better serve youth, reach TANF participants, and engage key stakeholders.

The U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Retirement and Disability Policy, released an article presenting an overview of two projects in the Social Security Administration's Youth Transition Demonstrations: California's Bridges to Youth Self-Sufficiency and Mississippi's Model Youth Transition Innovation. These programs provided transitional assistance for youth with disabilities who are entitled to Social Security benefits. Key outcomes are reported in the article, along with highlights from two youth who successfully completed the programs.

MDRC released a report discussing how Career Academics can build college and career exploration programs. MDRC and Bloom Associates developed and piloted a program to help Career Academics, a popular high school reform, build college and career exploration programs for their students. This report presents three key findings and the lessons learned from its implementation in 18 academies in California, Florida, and Georgia.

This report highlights outcomes from San Francisco's Jobs Now program, a subsidized employment program that began under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). It explains the program's design, how the city engaged with employers to secure jobs for participants and outcomes related to job attainment, job retention and wages. The Jobs Now program has continued even after ARRA funds were no longer available (though on a smaller scale) and the city is currently operating its fourth iteration of the program.

This Urban Institute report details how state policy decisions affect TANF program administration in five states: California, Florida, Michigan, Texas, and Washington. The authors examined both cash assistance and other aspects of the block grant, plus how states responded to the Deficit Reduction Act and the recession.