TANF at 30
Landmark Dates for TANF
From the Director of the Office of Family Assistance:
- Thirty Years Later, Welfare Reform Needs Its Own Reform
- TANF and Work: The Gap Between Perception and Reality
- TANF and Work: The Caseload Reduction Credit and How States Exploit It
- The Prevalence of TANF Child-Only Cases Involving Immigration-Status-Ineligible Parents
- Safeguarding TANF Assistance: State Options for EBT Location and Purchase Restrictions
Families are Stronger Together
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) has expanded eligibility for federally funded, evidence-based prevention services to include expectant parents, allowing states to seek federal reimbursement for approved services provided during…
The NRFC Virtual Collaborative Community (VCC) offers human service providers a place to learn more about engaging fathers and strengthening fatherhood-focused services. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners can connect…
Can performance reporting do more than demonstrate compliance? This brief examines the Administration for Children and Families’ shift from traditional Program Improvement Plans (PIPs) toward a more focused approach designed to help child welfare…
Family engagement can be challenging at every stage of home visiting from initial outreach and enrollment to continued participation. This brief from the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation identifies seven evidence-informed factors that…
What does it take for parents to stay in school, work toward a career, and care for their children at the same time? Child Trends used photovoice—a participatory approach that combines photographs, participant-written captions, and group…
The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is awarding $2.2 million to modernize child welfare licensing infrastructure. The funding will support efforts to improve the systems states use to license and monitor foster care providers, with…
Work Innovations
Gaining work experience can be an important step toward long-term employment, particularly for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) participants who face challenges entering the workforce. This infographic explores how transitional jobs…
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) participants may face a range of challenges that make it difficult to find and maintain employment, from transportation and childcare needs to health concerns and limited work experience. This…
In recognition of the 30th anniversary of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), State and Tribal Technical Assistance and Resources (STAR) developed a series of infographics exploring employment strategies tested by TANF programs. The…
For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) participants, learning new skills while gaining practical work experience can open doors to employment opportunities. This infographic explores how TANF programs have tested work-based learning…
Building careers with opportunities for growth and advancement can help Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) families achieve greater economic stability. This infographic explores how TANF programs have tested career pathways strategies…
Career navigation requires job seekers to make a series of complex decisions, from choosing a career path and identifying needed skills to finding training and applying for jobs. This MDRC brief documents how the SkillUp Coalition integrated…
Promoting Healthy Marriages and Two-Parent Families
This Child Care Aware of America webpage provides clear, national data on what families are actually paying for childcare and how those costs affect the ability to work and stay employed. The resource offers resources to help pay and budget for…
This curriculum by Making a Difference focuses on helping young people build decision-making skills, understand consequences, and reduce behaviors that increase risk of unintended pregnancy. The resource addresses a key prevention gap by reaching…
This One Key Question® tool introduces a simple but structured way for individuals to reflect on whether they want to become parents and when. The resource creates space for intentional decision-making at moments when family planning…
The Office of Family Assistance (OFA) will host the National Fatherhood Summit from August 3 to August 5, 2026, providing a forum for stakeholders interested in sharing and discovering ways to support and promote responsible fatherhood. OFA…
The Urban Institute’s Affordability Tracker shows how affordability varies across regions and over time, highlighting pressure points in household budgets. It provides context for understanding why families may struggle even when working by…
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…