Research shows that families living in poverty have a significantly higher likelihood of experiencing crises, and that poverty is the greatest threat to child well-being and the best predictor of abuse and neglect. Further, research suggests poverty is a key driver of child welfare system involvement and preliminary evidence suggests even modest economic supports can stabilize families and alleviate the need for more intensive intervention. Although the relationship between poverty and child neglect is supported by research, there is not yet a clear national policy and systems approach to intervening on behalf of families in ways that preserve the family unit while resolving safety issues compromised by poverty. Scattered across the country, however, are innovative policies, system reform efforts, program models, and practice strategies for bridging this gap.

The Office of Family Assistance (OFA), in partnership with the Children’s Bureau, hosted a webinar on April 18, 2023, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET which examined research conducted and presented by researchers from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago.

The webinar

• Highlighted research findings contributing to the current knowledge base on the interrelationships among family economic insecurity and stability, income and concrete material supports, family well-being, and preventing child welfare system involvement.
• Described innovations introduced by states to bolster family economic security and protect children.
• Identified pain points and key challenges to collaboration and coordination derived from research and practice.

OFA Director Ann Flagg gave opening remarks. Webinar participants were able to ask questions and explore topics of interest in additional detail with the Chapin Hall researchers.

Families are experts in their own experiences, and their perspectives can help improve programs. This Office for Planning, Research and Evaluation toolkit provides practical strategies, tools, and resources for gathering and using family feedback to strengthen Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and child support services. TANF program leaders, frontline staff, and partners can use these resources to meaningfully engage families, improve service delivery, and ensure programs better reflect the needs and priorities of the communities they serve.

TANF participants in Utah are moving from poverty to earning incomes at or above 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL) through a social capital-building strategy. Implemented by the Utah Department of Workforce Services through partnerships with community action agencies, the Circles program matches TANF participants with community volunteers in a long-term weekly support group. With this circle of support and resources, participants are empowered to move toward employment and self-sufficiency.

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.

This I Am Dad podcast examines a practical question for fatherhood programs: what helps fathers participate consistently enough to benefit from services? The conversation explores the difference between incentives and supports, the barriers that can make participation difficult, and why programs should ask fathers directly what they need. Examples include transportation, food, gift cards, and other supports that can reduce the practical costs of participation.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, the discussion offers a useful reminder that engagement is not simply about asking clients to attend. TANF programs may need to design services around participants’ schedules, transportation challenges, family responsibilities, and other realities that affect retention. These lessons can inform fatherhood initiatives within TANF as well as broader strategies for making services easier for families to access and complete.

This case study from the American Institutes for Research looks at how Indiana is using intermediaries – organizations that connect employers, schools, and other partners – to expand access to high-quality work-based learning. The study addresses a common challenge: schools and employers may both support work-based learning, but often lack the staff, time, relationships, or infrastructure needed to coordinate opportunities at scale.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs, Indiana’s experience offers a practical model for thinking about who can play the “connector” role between participants and employers. Intermediaries can reduce the burden on individual organizations, coordinate employer relationships, provide shared tools and supports, and help translate policy into day-to-day practice. These lessons may be useful for TANF programs seeking stronger work-based learning, apprenticeship, or employer partnerships without having to build every piece of the system themselves.

This Jobs for the Future resource examines Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act waiver decisions for 40 states and territories and highlights several emerging approaches, including reaching young people earlier, expanding employer-driven training, increasing on-the-job training flexibility, and extending supportive services after people enter employment.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, the resource provides ideas for strengthening TANF–workforce partnerships and thinking beyond job placement as the end goal. Including transportation, childcare, training, and post-employment supports in the discussion is especially relevant to TANF programs working to help participants not only find jobs, but remain employed and progress toward greater economic stability.

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is investing $7.3 million in 10 states to strengthen the systems and services that help families address challenges before they lead to foster care entry. The Prevention Accelerator Grants will support activities such as improving referral pathways, training staff in Motivational Interviewing, strengthening data and claiming systems, and expanding evidence-based family supports.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, this ACF announcement offers a useful look at how states are building stronger prevention systems around families. The announcement outlines the 10 jurisdictions’ plans to improve their services, including better referrals, shared data, and sustainable funding structures that can help families connect with the right support earlier. TANF programs can draw lessons from these approaches when considering partnerships with child welfare, community providers, and other family-serving programs.

Technology jobs can offer strong opportunities for career growth, but training alone does not guarantee that participants will find and keep employment. This MDRC report examines strategies for helping people from underserved communities enter technology careers, including the supports and partnerships needed to make these pathways work.

For Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) practitioners, the resource offers ideas for connecting participants to growing fields while navigating the barriers that can make technology careers difficult to access. It can help practitioners think about training alongside career coaching, employer connections, and other supports that help participants move from learning new skills to securing employment. The findings can also inform partnerships with workforce programs and employers seeking to create more accessible pathways into technology careers.

This Congressional Research Service report explains how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) interacts with pregnancy centers and the role these organizations can play in providing services to pregnant women and families. It provides background on TANF funding, allowable uses, and how states may work with pregnancy centers and other community organizations.

For TANF practitioners, the resource can help clarify how TANF resources may be used to support families through community-based partnerships. It is particularly useful for understanding the policy considerations involved when TANF agencies work with organizations that provide family planning and pregnancy-related services, referrals, and other supports. The resource can help program staff and leaders better understand the options and boundaries for using TANF funds while considering how partnerships can connect families to a broader range of services.

The Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Child Welfare Coordination (TTCW) program funds demonstration projects administered by the Administration for Children and Families’ (ACF) Office of Family Assistance. These projects examine how Tribal governments and Tribal consortia can coordinate TANF, child welfare, and related supportive services for Tribal families at risk of child abuse or neglect. Because families with low incomes who qualify for TANF may be more likely to experience child maltreatment and interact with both TANF and child welfare systems, stronger coordination can help promote family safety and stability.

For Tribal TANF practitioners, this ACF case study provides specific examples of how TTCW projects are improving communication, coordinating case planning, sharing resources, and connecting families with services across systems. The approaches can help TANF programs move beyond one-time referrals and develop stronger partnerships with child welfare staff. The resource is especially useful for Tribal TANF programs seeking practical strategies to identify families’ needs, reduce service gaps, and coordinate supports that address both economic stability and child and family well-being.