OFA Webinar: Considering Child Support Pass-Through and Disregard Policies to Improve Paths to Self-Sufficiency

Record Description

To support Child Support Awareness Month, the Office of Family Assistance, in collaboration with the Office of Child Support Enforcement, will host a webinar on Wednesday, August 21, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET on state pass-through and disregard policies. By attending the webinar, participants will deepen their knowledge of pass-through and disregard policies and identify factors to consider when adopting a programmatic change like a pass-through option. Speakers will include representatives from the Colorado Department of Human Services who will share their experiences implementing a full pass-through and the effects of the policy change.

Record Type
Combined Date
2019-08-21T09:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
Publication Date
2019-08-21
Section/Feed Type
PeerTA Resources (OFA Initiatives)

TANF/WIOA Collaboration: Weld County, Colorado

Record Description

As described in this case statement, TANF and WIOA programs at the Employment Services Centers of Weld County are maximizing resources to serve target populations by sharing a work-based learning team, infrastructure costs, and flexible staff across programs. This collaboration also facilitates the coordination of two-generation and immigrant/refugee services.

The brief is organized into sections on joint service delivery, resource sharing, shared learning, managing collaborative activities, and a special focus on immigrant and refugee populations. Readers may also access links to the state TANF plan and variations in funding for more context and resources. This brief is part of the TANF Works! TANF/WIOA Collaboration Series, through which the Office of Family Assistance’s Integrating Innovative Employment and Economic Stability Strategies (IIEESS) initiative seeks to highlight innovative coordination strategies of TANF and WIOA programs to serve low-income or vulnerable populations.

Record Type
Combined Date
2019-06-18T20:00:00
Source
OFA Initiatives
Region
City/County
Publication Date
2019-06-19
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)
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Employment Coaching Program Snapshots

Record Description
This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report reviews the effectiveness of using coaches to help low-income individuals move toward self-sufficiency. The evaluation profiles four coaching models: Iowa’s Family Development and Self-Sufficiency (FaDSS); coaching at home visits implemented in Jefferson County, Colorado; LIFT, a national nonprofit organization that delivers career and financial coaching in Washington (D.C.), New York (New York), Chicago (Illinois), and Los Angeles (California); and MyGoals for Employment Success, a model designed by MDRC and piloted in Baltimore (Maryland) and Houston (Texas).
Record Type
Combined Date
2019-05-15T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
Publication Date
2019-05-16
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

Mobile Coaching: Innovation and Small-Scale Experimentation to Better Engage Program Participants in Rural Colorado

Record Description
This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report provides a qualitative review of the Mobile Coaching model used in La Plata County, Colorado to address transportation barriers that TANF participants in rural communities face. Under the Mobile Coaching model, case managers drive TANF participants to service providers and deliver case management while participants are in transit. The report documents case managers’ and participants’ perspectives.
Record Type
Combined Date
2019-05-09T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
Publication Date
2019-05-10
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

ACF Family Room Blog: Improving Child Support Collections through Noncustodial Parent Employment

Record Description
This Administration for Children and Families blog post from the Office of Child Support Enforcement Commissioner presents examples of how states are taking the lead in testing and implementing child support-led employment services. These projects, funded under the National Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration program, IV-D incentive funds, and waiver authority granted under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act (to support programs in Colorado, Ohio, and Wisconsin), include intensive case management, parenting peer support, and related employment services. A final evaluation report expected in April will demonstrate the positive outcomes of these programs that lead to increased capacity of noncustodial parents to support their children financially.
Record Type
Combined Date
2019-03-21T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
Publication Date
2019-03-22
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

Starting with Stability: How Denver Is Breaking the Homelessness-Jail Cycle

Record Description
This section from an Urban Institute report describes a social impact bond, issued in Denver, Colorado in February 2016, to fund a supportive housing program for 250 persons most frequently involved in the criminal justice system. The section presents participants’ first-hand accounts as well as challenges of utilizing the housing lease-up process to stem homelessness or returns to jail for this transitional population.
Record Type
Combined Date
2019-03-19T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
Publication Date
2019-03-20
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

Learn, Innovate, Improve (LI2): Lessons from Adams County’s Efforts to Increase Engagement in the Colorado Works Program

Record Description
In this Issue Brief, findings from an intervention of an outreach strategy were applied to Colorado’s version of TANF, Colorado Works, that aimed to increase participant engagement rates. Parents were not following through on upfront activities like orientations and initial meetings; this was harmful not only because it meant families were not fully utilizing planning resources offered to them, but also because they might lose TANF assistance if they failed to perform these actions. After using behavioral science to understand reasons for low engagement and to create a proactive outreach strategy in Adams County, Colorado, the community saw a 13 percentage point increase in orientation session attendance and a 9 percentage point increase in one-on-one meetings with case managers. The report details the personalized approach and road map used to achieve these outcomes and provides additional data to measure the intervention’s success.
Record Type
Combined Date
2018-06-29T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
Publication Date
2018-06-30
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

CareerWise Colorado: A Modern Youth Apprenticeship Model

Record Description
In this podcast, the current chief executive officer and the former president of CareerWise Colorado discuss this career and technical education apprenticeship program for high school students. By targeting youth, the program’s innovative model helps students explore careers and build skills from a young age. Under the paid apprenticeship program, students work two days a week to apply what they learn in the classroom during the other three days, which emphasizes the connection between classroom learning and real-world employment. Students leave the program with skills, income, and credentials that can be applied to higher education. Other topics discussed include recruitment, demographics, retention, transferable skills, and future program plans.
Record Type
Posting Date
Combined Date
2018-09-30T20:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
Publication Date
2018-10-01
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

Improving Child Care Subsidy Programs: Findings from the Work Support Strategies Evaluation

Record Description
This report from the Urban Institute explores strategies that five different states used to expand access and improve service delivery for those accessing child care subsidies. This work was part of the Work Support Strategies (WSS) initiative which took place between 2012 and 2015. Following the most recent Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) reauthorization, many states are working on restructuring their programs and improving access; this report highlights relevant practices and lessons learned as states pursue these goals.
Record Type
Combined Date
2018-01-31T19:00:00
Source
Region
City/County
Publication Date
2018-02-01
Section/Feed Type
Latest Information from Network (Home)

OFA Webinar: Strengthening the Safety Net for Survivors Through Collaboration

Record Description

A virtual roundtable was held on November 30, 2017 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. EST, co-presented by the Office of Family Assistance, the Office of Child Support Enforcement, and the Family and Youth Services Bureau. Via plenaries and breakout sessions, the roundtable  defined family violence, explained good cause, and highlighted examples of excellence across the nation.

The Opening Plenary Session was titled, "Family Violence and Accessing and Applying for Public Benefits and Work Supports: Challenges and Solutions," and was led by Dr. Janet Mickish, Lead Trainer and Manager of Staff Development, Colorado Department of Human Services and Krista Del Gallo, Public Policy Manager, Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV).

The Plenary was followed by 4 breakout sessions to include:

  • Breakout Session #1: Discussion Around Building Good Relationships with DV Coalitions and Programs
  • Breakout Session #2: Promoting Disclosure and Safety for Victims Accessing Child Support
  • Breakout Session #3: Establishing Good Cause
  • Breakout Session #4: Family Violence with Native American Populations

The roundtable closed with a plenary titled, "State and Local TANF/Child Support Programs of Excellence," led by Meghan McCann, National Conference of State Legislatures; Amber Harchuk, Temporary Assistance to Domestic Violence Survivor’s (TA-DVS) Policy Analyst and DHS Domestic Violence Co-Located Advocates Program Coordinator; Belit Burke, Self-Sufficiency Program Administrator, Oregon Department of Human Services; and Traci Underwood, Program Coordinator, Economic Justice Project, Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence.