This Office of Family Assistance brief focuses specifically on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) child-only cases in which a child receives assistance while a parent is excluded from the assistance unit because of citizenship or immigration status. The brief examines how common these cases are among broader TANF child-only cases and brings greater attention to a part of TANF that can be easy to overlook.

For TANF practitioners, this resource provides useful context for understanding the families behind child-only cases and the different circumstances that can shape eligibility. It can help TANF staff understand the impact of child-only cases involving a parent excluded because of immigration status and how they impact program caseloads, spending, and reporting.

This Administration for Children and Families announcement highlights $6 million in funding for 10 jurisdictions to advance the use of predictive risk modeling in child welfare. These jurisdictions will pilot technology aimed at using data to help child welfare agencies identify patterns and potentially recognize situations where families may benefit from earlier or more targeted support.

This announcement is useful for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) leaders and staff who are thinking about how to strengthen coordination across systems and improve early intervention efforts. The announcement may encourage practitioners to consider how data can support human judgment, relationship-building, and direct engagement with families. Ultimately, it offers a window into how child welfare systems are evolving and what that may mean for the broader network of services that support family stability.

Men play a vital role in helping children and families thrive, yet they are often overlooked in conversations about foster and kinship care. This Creating a Family podcast episode explores the unique contributions of fathers, grandfathers, uncles, mentors, and other male caregivers, while discussing strategies for engaging and supporting them in meaningful ways. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners who work with kinship and foster families can use this resource to strengthen family engagement, promote inclusive caregiving practices, and better highlight the important role male caregivers play in helping children build safe, stable, and supportive relationships.

In August 2026, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) and the Department of the Treasury jointly released a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document to help states, territories, and Tribes establish and administer Fostering the Future Accounts. 

New FAQ highlights include:  

• Establishing and administering Fostering the Future Accounts; 
• Available funding sources, including federal funds and private contributions; and 
• Fostering the Future Accounts eligibility, management, transfer, and withdrawal considerations. 

To further support implementation, ACF launched the National Fostering the Future Accounts Advancement Center to provide technical assistance tailored to the needs of states, territories, and Tribes. 

Kin caregivers often step in unexpectedly to care for children and may not realize they are eligible for support. This Grandfamilies & Kinship Support Network fact sheet explains how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) can help relatives raising children by providing financial assistance and connecting families with additional services. TANF practitioners can use this resource to better inform kin caregivers about available supports, answer common questions, and ensure families receive the assistance they need. This fact sheet can also be a useful tool for expanding awareness of TANF and helping caregivers access resources that promote stability for the children in their care.

The Administration for Children and Families announced a new Technical Assistance Center to help states, Tribes, and territories implement Fostering the Future Accounts, a program designed to help eligible young people build financial security as they transition into adulthood. Once launched, the center will offer training, tools, and individualized support to help jurisdictions successfully establish and manage these accounts. Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners who work with youth and young adults can access this resource to learn about new opportunities that promote financial well-being and strengthen pathways to long-term economic independence.

As of July 15, 2026, 30 states have either ended or substantially reformed the practice of diverting Social Security survivor benefits from foster youth. The action marks a major milestone in protecting earned benefits for some of the nation’s most vulnerable children.

In addition, states can now preserve foster youth’s Social Security survivor benefits in Fostering the Future Accounts — the newly announced investment vehicle designed to empower foster youth and support long-term wealth building. Since the accounts were announced in June, 25 governors have pledged to open Fostering the Future Accounts in their respective states. States both ending the orphan tax and pledging to open Fostering the Future Accounts advance President Donald J. Trump and the First Lady’s Executive Order on Fostering the Future for American Children and Families designed to improve the nation's child welfare system and protect the financial future of children in foster care.

On July 9, 2026, the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced 50 states, as well as Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, joined “A Home for Every Child (AHEC),” the ACF initiative aimed at increasing the ratio of licensed foster homes relative to children in foster care. 

AHEC operationalized parts of the Fostering the Future for American Children and Families Executive Order by offering states an alternative Program Improvement Plan (PIP) under the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR)—replacing lengthy paperwork exercises with a single, unifying measure: a state’s ratio of licensed foster homes to children in care. Child welfare jurisdictions nationwide have volunteered to participate because PIPs, long criticized as burdensome busywork that pulled caseworkers away from families, are now a vehicle for state innovation and shared accountability.

Building financial security starts with making sure families know about available opportunities. This Urban Institute resource explores early findings showing that many families who could benefit from new Trump Accounts are unaware the program exists. For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, the resource reinforces the importance of outreach and trusted communication when introducing new benefits or savings opportunities, like the Trump Accounts. The resource can help TANF programs think about how to share information more effectively, encourage participation, and connect eligible families with tools that may support their children's long-term financial well-being.

This report is part of the Congressional Research Services series that focuses on changes in programs affecting low-income children in light of the upcoming 30-year anniversary of the enactment of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (PRWORA).

This report looks at how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) has evolved since its creation in 1996, highlighting key policy changes and trends over time. It is a useful resource for TANF administrators, managers, and frontline staff who want to better understand the program's history and how it has adapted to meet the changing needs of families. The report can help inform TANF program planning, staff training, and discussions about future improvements while providing important context for serving families more effectively.