Individuals who receive human services and other assistance often receive those services from several independent programs. Analyzing data from multiple programs can improve leadership’s understanding of the overall system and how to improve services for all recipients. However, sharing data with other offices and agencies often raises legitimate concerns, such as whether it complies with applicable law, meets individuals’ privacy expectations, or creates a security risk. This case study reviews the data privacy and confidentiality challenges that Iowa encountered and resolved, and also discusses how Iowa’s Integrated Data System for Decision-Making (I2D2) worked with its stakeholders to develop a solution that met their needs and expectations.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services added new peer support programs to the Title-IV Prevention Services Clearinghouse, for which all states can now claim federal reimbursement. The expansion advances the Trump Administration’s Great American Recovery and A Home for Every Child initiatives by equipping states with evidence-based resources to help parents overcome addiction, thereby strengthening families and reducing the number of children entering foster care. The services are designed to connect parents and caregivers with people who have lived experience navigating similar challenges, providing practical support, encouragement, and connections to community resources before families reach a crisis point. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners can use this resource to better understand how peer support can complement existing services, engage families in a more accessible and supportive way, and connect parents and caregivers to resources that can help promote family stability and well-being.

The Family Resource Simulator shows how earnings, benefits, and expenses interact as circumstances change. It makes “what if” scenarios visible in a way that is difficult to capture through conversation alone. In Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) settings, the simulator can support planning discussions by helping families see how small changes in work hours, income, or benefits affect overall stability.

The National Center for Children in Poverty’s Basic Needs Budget Calculator breaks down what it actually costs to meet essential needs like housing, food, childcare, and transportation. It highlights gaps between wages, benefits, and real household expenses. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners can use it to support budgeting work that feels concrete and locally relevant, helping families understand what stability requires in practical terms.

Research from SmartAsset explores what it takes financially for one parent to stay home and the other to support the household. It adds context to the tradeoffs families face when making caregiving and work decisions. Within Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) services, it can support more realistic financial planning discussions and help families think through how income choices affect stability, caregiving roles, and long-term goals.

The MIT Living Wage Calculator estimates the income families need to cover basic expenses based on where they live and family size. It helps clarify a common disconnect in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) work—employment alone does not always equal economic stability. Practitioners can use it to ground conversations about self-sufficiency in local reality, making it easier to connect job planning and financial goals to actual household needs and improve family stability.

Rural communities are developing creative approaches to bring older adults and youth together through shared spaces and intergenerational programming. This Generations United resource highlights examples of programs that foster mentorship, caregiving support, and community connection across generations. TANF agencies working in rural areas may find these models useful for strengthening local partnerships, supporting caregivers, and creating opportunities for families to build supportive community networks.

This Child Welfare Playbook strategy emphasizes the importance of engaging extended family and kin caregivers early when children are at risk of removal to explore options for support and safety within the family network. This strategy reinforces the value of early engagement and family-centered approaches. TANF case managers can consider how involving a broader support network can strengthen family stability, reduce crisis escalation, and connect participants to supports that align with their goals.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the State of Iowa are launching a first-of-its-kind partnership to modernize Iowa’s child welfare information system, creating a new, user-friendly technology platform designed to improve caseworker efficiency and strengthen services for children and families. This initiative is built on user-centered design and robust data and aims to free frontline staff from outdated systems, enabling better decision-making that supports family stability and permanency. Alongside the launch of ACF’s new Child Welfare Technology Incubator to help other states scale similar innovations, this effort aligns with broader federal goals to improve outcomes and keep families safely together.

This tipsheet provides examples of strategies that Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs can use to support family economic security by helping TANF recipients make intentional and healthy decisions about their families. An unintended pregnancy can make it harder for TANF participants to improve their economic well-being and independence. Family-centered services, such as employment coaching, home visiting, mentoring, and access to family planning services, can support TANF participants in making intentional and healthy choices for their families.