There is a growing recognition of the importance of healthy social-emotional development and the behavioral and mental health of young children, as well as the critical nature of early relationships with parents and other caregivers. Addressing the social and emotional development of infants and toddlers with and at-risk for developmental delays and disabilities is a requirement of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This briefing paper examines an array of infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH) policies and practices that state early intervention (IDEA, Part C) programs may consider implementing to effectively support the social-emotional development and mental health needs of eligible children as the policies and programs reflect the importance of nurturing early relationships for a child's social emotional wellbeing. An appendix includes state spotlights in Alabama, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Michigan, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.

This case study describes the Family Assessment Centers (FACs), which provide emergency shelters for families experiencing homelessness in Honolulu, Hawaii. The FACs represent an initial initiative under the `Ohana Nui service delivery framework, which is used across the Hawaii Department of Human Services (DHS) to support multigenerational families. The case study covers this program in detail, including where FACs operate and their context; what FACs offer; whom FACs serve; how they are staffed and funded; what services are provided by FACs; and how FACs measure program participation and outcomes. The case study also highlights accomplishments, challenges, and future plans.

Families that receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) cash assistance are often in a state of crisis. They face immediate material needs, and these unmet basic needs put families at an increased risk for investigations in the child welfare system. Addressing unmet material needs among TANF participants, through providing concrete supports, can help prevent child maltreatment and ultimately keep children in their homes.

This tipsheet is intended for state, county, and Tribal TANF leaders who make program-level decisions about the types of resources and services that their programs offer to TANF participants.

Based on input from state TANF programs during the 2023 National TANF Directors’ Meeting, the Office of Family Assistance (OFA) developed five virtual Learning Collaboratives (LCs) on topics best addressed through a cohort-based, peer learning format. These LCs were designed to be a progressive series of interactive meetings that facilitated reflection, peer sharing, connection with experts, and human-centered design and planning activities to deeply explore facets of the collaborative topic. Sessions were held monthly from March to August 2024 for 60-90 minutes.

The Overcoming Barriers to TANF Participation LC gathered TANF program leaders motivated by the many families facing barriers to accessing TANF or needed financial support despite their eligibility. The LC provided the opportunity for states to connect with each other while learning new strategies that may increase TANF participation for greater family well-being. It was designed to encourage participants to take steps to identify a priority barrier to participation in their TANF program. Participating states and territories included New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Virgin Islands, Pennsylvania, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, Minnesota, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Wyoming.

This OFA resource highlights the Strengthening Overcoming Barriers to TANF Participation LC, including key takeaways and resources from each session as well as overall themes and future considerations for follow-up.

Partnering with state leaders, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices compiled a State Roadmap for Workforce Recovery, which provides a framework to organize workforce response and recovery activities to meet four important goals toward a more equitable future post-COVID: expand access to needed support services for low-income populations, quickly connect job seekers to work, increase digital access and skill development, and improve job quality for all. Included in the report are case studies from Hawaii, Massachusetts, Ohio, and Rhode Island.

The two-generation (2Gen) approach to building stronger families is gaining momentum in several states, including Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, Tennessee, and Washington. In these states, a 2Gen coordinator has been identified to work with frontline staff, families, community partners, and across statewide departments to advance 2Gen strategies. On July 28, 2020 at 3:00 p.m. ET, Ascend, an Aspen Institute initiative, will host a webinar which will cover how these states are working toward systems change to help families experience more equitable and positive outcomes.

This Administration for Children and Families brief provides guidance on how financial capability services are integrated into existing programs that are delivered to TANF participants. The brief is divided into four sections: centering the client voice, securing buy-in from line staff for delivering financial capability services, identifying areas for integration of services, and using data for service delivery evaluation. Lessons from the field highlight TANF agencies’ experiences in Delaware, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington State.