A digital service may look efficient from an agency’s perspective while being confusing or frustrating for the people expected to use it. This guide from GovLoop explains the importance of understanding people’s experiences before redesigning or upgrading digital services. It introduces customer journey mapping and human-centered design as tools agencies can use to identify where people encounter problems and create services that are easier to navigate.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, this approach can be useful when thinking about online applications, eligibility processes, appointment systems, document submission, and other digital interactions with families. Instead of assuming that a difficult process is simply a user problem, practitioners can examine the process from the client’s perspective and identify where confusion, unnecessary steps, or unclear instructions create barriers. The guide can help TANF leaders and staff ask practical questions about what families experience at each stage of accessing services and use that information to make improvements. Its emphasis on listening to users makes it a useful resource for agencies working to make digital services more accessible.

Finding out which public benefits a family may qualify for can be difficult when eligibility rules differ across programs and applications require time, information, and paperwork. This Urban Institute resource evaluates the initial implementation of MyFriendBen, a free online screening tool that helps people quickly identify benefits and community resources for which they may qualify. The evaluation found that the tool helped many users discover programs they did not know about, and most users who applied for a new benefit or resource were approved for at least one program. At the same time, the research shows that screening is only the first step; many people still needed help understanding application requirements and completing the process.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, this resource offers practical lessons for improving benefits access. A digital screener can help families see the full range of supports that may be available rather than approaching each program separately. It can also help staff identify where technology can reduce information barriers while highlighting where personal assistance is still needed. TANF agencies can use the findings to think about how screening tools might connect families to navigators, community organizations, and application assistance.

Join the Office of Family Assistance for a webinar on September 9, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. ET to learn about the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Contingency Fund. The session will cover Contingency Fund basics and highlight important updates, including the latest Terms and Conditions and the new application process. TANF practitioners, administrators, grants management staff, and relevant personnel are encouraged to attend.

Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards make it possible for people receiving benefits to access assistance when and where they need it, including when they are temporarily outside their home state. At the same time, long-term out-of-state EBT activity can raise questions about whether a household has moved and may be receiving benefits from more than one state. The Closing Long-term Out-of-State EBT (CLOSE) guidance by the Office of Family Assistance gives Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and other assistance programs a structured approach for identifying and addressing these situations while strengthening program integrity.

TANF practitioners must balance two priorities: protecting public resources and making sure eligible families do not lose access to benefits because of a misunderstanding or temporary travel. The guidance can help TANF programs and their partnering agencies establish clearer processes for reviewing extended out-of-state EBT use, determining when additional information is needed, and taking appropriate action. For TANF programs, it offers best practices for improving fraud prevention and case management while creating a more consistent approach to a situation that can otherwise be difficult to navigate.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly finding its way into government programs and everyday agency work, but many public agencies are still figuring out how to use these tools responsibly. Govloop will host a webinar on August 20 at 2:30 p.m. ET to discuss a key challenge for government leaders: how to benefit from AI while protecting sensitive information, maintaining security, and preserving public trust.

This webinar will focus on that challenge and will help leaders think through what responsible AI use looks like in practice. It will highlight concerns like “shadow AI,” where staff may use AI tools without clear guidance or oversight, and will emphasize the importance of simple, practical rules so agencies know how AI is being used across their systems.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, this resource is especially important because TANF programs collect sensitive personal and financial information to make decisions that directly affect families’ stability. The webinar may help staff and leaders start conversations about when AI might be helpful, what safeguards need to be in place, and how to ensure decisions remain fair, transparent, and accountable. It can provide support for TANF agencies in exploring innovation in a thoughtful way—so new tools improve service delivery without putting client trust, privacy, or program integrity at risk.

In April 2026, the Office of Family Assistance launched the TANF Program Integrity Office Hours: a series of topical peer learning sessions where state agencies can share what's working, explore real challenges, and walk away with practical strategies they can use. This landing page hosts session recordings with companion tools, lessons learned, and helpful resources.

The Public Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS) helps states improve program integrity by securely comparing public assistance data across state lines. This Administration for Children and Families resource provides a sample Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines how state public assistance agencies can participate in interstate data matching and establish a framework for sharing information while protecting privacy. TANF administrators and program staff can use this MOU template to better understand how interstate data matching supports accurate eligibility determinations, reduces duplicate participation across states, and helps ensure public assistance benefits are administered efficiently and responsibly.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs are exploring new ways to improve services while helping staff meet growing demands. This MDRC video examines how organizations can thoughtfully evaluate artificial intelligence (AI) tools before using them to support clients. Rather than focusing only on technology, the video offers practical guidance for selecting tools that improve service delivery, protect client information, and complement staff expertise. TANF leaders and practitioners can use these insights to make informed decisions about incorporating AI into programming and identify opportunities to enhance client engagement without compromising trust or program quality.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs rely on accurate information to ensure benefits reach eligible families while maintaining program integrity. The Public Assistance Reporting Information System (PARIS) helps states identify duplicate public assistance participation across state lines and verify information that may affect eligibility. For TANF practitioners, understanding how PARIS works can support more accurate eligibility determinations, reduce administrative burden, and strengthen coordination with other public assistance programs while helping safeguard limited program resources.