The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) conducted the 2021 National TANF Directors’ Meeting from September 20 - 24, 2021. During this concurrent workshop, presenters from the TANF Data Collaborative (TDC) provided key insights from the toolkit developed for TANF administrators about the realities of accessing, linking, and analyzing wage records to inform policy and programming. Solutions for common data access barriers and an overview of key methods for linking TANF data with other datasets were also discussed with the goal of equipping participants with actionable strategies to facilitate data integration.

The Office of Family Assistance has made available preliminary FY 2020 TANF and state maintenance-of-effort (MOE) expenditures and transfer data. The data is available in tables and an interactive map, as well as national and state pie charts. Data is broken down by category of activity, including basic assistance; work, education, and training activities; and child care (including funds that states transferred to the Child Care and Development Discretionary Fund).

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) conducted the 2021 National TANF Directors’ Meeting from September 20 - 24, 2021. During this panel-style session comprised of “success snapshots,” speakers presented innovative strategies that enable programs to link people to jobs, to better communicate and respond to participant needs, and to provide training and skills development to the community. Presenters shared various strategies for finding employment opportunities, including work activities that are culturally relevant and responsive to the needs of their participants. This session also explored the option of Tribal TANF and NEW programs partnering with local organizations to fulfill community needs.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) conducted the 2021 National TANF Directors’ Meeting from September 20 - 24, 2021. During this concurrent workshop, a presentation examined how Connecticut’s Welfare to Work program responded to COVID-19 by shifting to a virtual service delivery system while building staff capacity to deliver services remotely statewide. Discussion covered how Connecticut’s initiative kept participants connected and engaged with their Employment Services program during COVID. Lessons learned also included a review of how COVID will impact future program operations, including the implementation of virtual orientation sessions.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Family Assistance (OFA) conducted the 2021 National TANF Directors’ Meeting from September 20 - 24, 2021. During this concurrent workshop, panelists explored how Tribal TANF and NEW programs can consider expanding virtual services to motivate participants to pursue opportunities, especially those which may have been previously inaccessible. Speakers discussed a variety of strategies used in the past year to create virtual education and training opportunities and virtual case management services for clients, as well as how these offerings were developed, challenges along the way, witnessed successes, and recommendations for programs considering offering similar resources. This session concluded with a review of OFA’s Coaching for Success eLearning modules, which program staff can use to provide virtual coaching and mentorship to participants.

This Information Memorandum (IM) accompanies the transmission of the FY 2020 state work participation rates from October 2019 through September 2020. The accompanying data tables provide state-by-state information on topics including combined TANF and SSP-MOE Work Participation Rates, TANF and SSP-MOE Families Work Participation Rates, and Changes in Combined Work Participation Rates.

Coaching is a person-centered, strength-based way of working with others that helps them direct the changes they want to make in their own lives. The Office of Family Assistance has made available to State and Tribal TANF agencies and Native Employment Works (NEW) programs a 14-module eLearning Curriculum called “Coaching for Success.” This curriculum aims to leverage coaching techniques to support employment case managers. Taken over time or for a specific topic, these self-paced modules on active listening, powerful questions, emotional intelligence, praise, and other important techniques can elevate TANF case management services. For additional information and sample module demonstrations, please refer to this introductory OFA webinar.

“Tribal TANF – The Basics and Beyond” and “Tribal TANF Data – The Basics” are two online learning modules intended to support Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) staff or any individual interested in learning more about the Tribal TANF program through step-by-step instructions and screenshots. “Tribal TANF – The Basics and Beyond” covers topics such as Tribal TANF program flexibility, the purposes of TANF, proper uses of TANF funds, TANF work requirements and time limits, as well as strategies for TANF program management and achieving program goals and objectives. “Tribal TANF Data – The Basics” describes the background of Tribal TANF data collection and submission, the process of installing data reporting software, steps for submitting quarterly TANF data reports, and an overview of how tribes calculate work participation rates.

Through the TANF Works! Series, the Office of Family Assistance seeks to disseminate information about promising practices within the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) field that can be scaled or adapted by other programs. The series includes three components:

• Emerging Practices Series – Special topics briefs and a three-part webinar series share strategies implemented by TANF programs to help low-income individuals gain and maintain employment.
• TANF-WIOA Collaboration Series – Fourteen case statements highlight the collaboration between TANF and WIOA agencies in 19 locations across nine states to improve service coordination for job seekers.
• Coaching for Success Series – This toolkit offers strategies for integrating client-centered coaching practices into TANF programs. Resources include topical webinars, tip sheets, and multi-page guides.

TANF Works! is part of the Integrating Innovative Employment and Economic Stability Strategies (IIEESS) project, which supports TANF agencies and their partners in identifying, adopting, and sharing innovative practices to improve employment outcomes for low-income individuals.

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services, in partnership with a statewide community outreach program called New Ventures Maine, is providing entrepreneurship training to TANF participants. Eligible and interested TANF participants enroll in a self-employment program that offers financial coaching, guidance for developing a viable business plan, and ongoing support as they take steps toward a career and economic stability.

This brief is part of the Emerging Practice Series of the Office of Family Assistance’s Integrating Innovative Employment and Economic Stability Strategies (IIEESS) initiative, which highlights the strategies of TANF agencies and their partners to help low-income individuals gain and sustain meaningful employment. Each brief describes an emerging practice that has been implemented in one site, an overview of the program model, and the results that have been achieved. Compelling stories of participants’ success and suggestions from TANF agency staff to their peers provide actionable insights and on-the-ground perspectives.