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 Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA) has prompted states to think about how they track employment and other TANF program outcomes. The Creating Outcomes-based TANF Programs LC was designed to guide states through a collaborative learning journey focused on reporting on employment and other outcomes in light of the new FRA requirements. Participants worked to better understand what it means to focus on outcomes, and what successful outcomes look like for the families they serve. Participating states and territories included New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland, Georgia, North Carolina, Minnesota, Louisiana, New Mexico, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Utah.

This OFA resource highlights the Creating Outcomes-based TANF Programs LC, including key takeaways and resources from each session as well as overall themes and future considerations for follow-up.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance hosted the Regions V-VIII State Technical Assistance Meeting from July 9 to July 11, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. Themed “Reimagining Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Programs through the Lens of Program Participants,” this meeting was designed to inspire, support, and engage TANF program leaders and staff in evidence-driven change that improves programs and positively impacts the lives of the families they serve. Over the course of the meeting, participants engaged in peer-to-peer learning, group discussion and idea generation, and networking among Federal and state colleagues.

This report reviews the use of technology-based learning (TBL), covering employability or soft skills, basic literacy and numeracy, technological literacy, job search skills, and occupational training and certification. It also examines approaches used to increase remote access for TBL, perceived barriers in implementing TBL at American Job Centers, and the American Job Center staff perceptions of the effectiveness of existing TBL services. The report is based on site visits at five state workforce agencies (in Massachusetts, Kentucky, Utah, Minnesota, and California) and nine American Job Centers in these states as they were developing policies for expanding the use of TBL.

This report examines how organizational culture, office design, and office procedures contribute to the client experience with TANF, the services offered, and the potential outcomes. It highlights examples of productive client-oriented office settings, organizational processes and culture, and the day-to-day influence of organizational culture on clients and frontline staff. The report’s findings are drawn from field interviews and observations at six TANF offices: Fairfax County’s Department of Family Services (Virginia); Mesa County’s Workforce Center (Colorado); New York City’s Human Resources Administration (New York); Owens Valley Career Development Center’s Tribal TANF Program (California); Santa Cruz County’s Human Services Department (California); and the Utah Department of Workforce Services.

State and local workforce agencies worked to ensure that effective employer engagement, customer outreach, and service delivery occurred during the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration brought together experts from the U.S. Department of Labor, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the Utah Workforce Development Program, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, and the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment to cover challenges states addressed to help job seekers, and the strategies they executed to assist both businesses and job seekers in a changing workforce.

This issue brief by Voices for Utah Children in conjunction with the Aspen Institute focuses on two-generation strategies to reduce poverty. Voices for Utah worked with Utah lawmakers to address the issue by passing the Intergenerational Poverty Mitigation Act in 2012 and creating an Intergenerational Poverty Advisory Commission in 2013. The goal was to develop evidence-based strategies and interventions with policymakers to increase economic security, educational success, social capital, and health and well-being for families. This legislation and approach have been a critical step in creating a framework for states to develop five- and ten-year plans to address poverty.

This toolkit by National Conference of State Legislatures focuses on new approaches and strategies to help families disrupt the cycle of poverty. The toolkit outlines and describes the fundamentals of two-generation approaches to address poverty, with focus on state legislators’ critical role in legislating, convening, partnering, championing, and coordinating funding for two-generation initiatives. It highlights the vital role legislators play in bringing stakeholders together and increasing collaboration and data sharing among agencies to address the needs of similar populations. It also illustrates initiatives taken by legislators in several states such as Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Washington, and others to create and sustain those efforts.