The ACF-196R is the federal form that states use to report TANF expenditures quarterly to the Office of Family Assistance (OFA). Part II of this form requires detailed narrative descriptions for specific expenditure categories that need additional context to demonstrate alignment with TANF purposes.

The narrative sections of the ACF-196R form provide essential context for understanding state TANF expenditures and support OFA’s oversight responsibilities. While numerical data shows what was spent, narratives explain how and why funds were used, ensuring transparency and accountability in TANF program administration. This guide will help you develop clear, comprehensive narratives that satisfy federal reporting requirements and effectively communicate your state’s TANF activities.

This toolkit is designed for state TANF administrators, budget officers, and financial reporting staff responsible for completing ACF-196R narrative requirements. It includes three standalone resources that complement the official ACF-196R instructions by providing practical tools and examples to improve narrative quality. 

These resources are designed to help states effectively complete ACF-196R narrative requirements. Each resource can be used independently or as part of a comprehensive approach to improving expenditure narratives.

This template can be used when estimating expenditures. It offers guidance on key components and proposed questions to answer.

This template can be used for Other Expenditures (Line 23 - includes Tribal TANF Programs and unique programs). It offers guidance on key components and proposed questions to answer.

This template can be used for Non-Assistance Authorized Solely Under Prior Law (Lines 8a-8c). It offers guidance on key components and proposed questions to answer.

This template can be used for Assistance Authorized Solely Under Prior Law (Lines 7a-7c). It offers guidance on key components and proposed questions to answer.

As part of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) of 2023, all states are required to submit the Secondary School Diploma or its Recognized Equivalent Attainment Rate report annually, with the first report due on November 14, 2027. This outcome measure is intended to assist federal and state policymakers to better understand the effectiveness of TANF programs in promoting successful education credential attainment. The outcome is defined as the percentage of applicable TANF recipients and exiters who, during the reporting period, attained a secondary school diploma or a recognized equivalent credential.

TANF agencies may opt to collect the data necessary for this report from their state education agency or longitudinal data system. This document contains a series of questions to begin a conversation with these data providers about the possible use of their data.

As part of the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) of 2023, all states are required to submit the Secondary School Diploma or its Recognized Equivalent Attainment Rate report annually, with the first report due on November 14, 2027. This outcome measure is intended to assist federal and state policymakers to better understand the effectiveness of TANF programs in promoting successful education credential attainment. States have some flexibility in determining the data sources used to create this report. However, when collecting or sharing school records, education organizations must adhere to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) requirements and any additional state privacy laws.

This fact sheet provides an overview of FERPA, describes different options for collecting school records, and includes additional resources.

This webpage highlights the announcement of the new vision, mission, values, priorities, and guiding principles for the Administration of Children and Families. The webpage outlines the values and offers resources that highlight exemplary practices for each.

During their work in multiple states, the Foster Insights team at the University of Chicago has observed notable trends in kin placement rates and the stability of kin placements. The Grandfamilies and Kinship Support Network will host a webinar on September 29, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. ET to share these observed trends and discuss their implications for stakeholders across the child welfare space. There will be a discussion on what can be learned about kinship families using placement data, and how these data-driven insights can help further the case for a kinship-first culture.