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, discussion focused on sharing lessons from the Pathways Clearinghouse. In addition to the enormous challenges COVID-19 posed to TANF agencies’ service delivery, it also led to sharp increases in unemployment. To help TANF agencies better serve clients during such unprecedented times, the Pathways to Work Evidence Clearinghouse undertook two projects to learn from past periods of economic difficulty and to identify innovations spurred by COVID-19. Participants learned about interventions and strategies that work during periods of economic recession and recovery.

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).

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report is a quantitative analysis of the “success sequence” as an approach to reduce poverty and improve economic opportunity among adolescents and young adults. (“Success sequence” refers to a series of milestones associated with escaping poverty and joining the middle class: high school completion, full-time employment, and waiting for marriage to have children.) The report uses longitudinal data to evaluate the order and combination of milestones and to assess the associations between completing the success sequence milestones by the age of 30 and economic self-sufficiency and family stability outcomes in the late 30s.

This report identifies the four components of youth apprenticeship programs and how they fit together to offer a set of principles for adoption that improve program quality. These distinguishing components are 1) structured and paid on-the-job learning under the supervision of skilled mentors, 2) classroom-based or technical instruction aligned to the workplace environment, 3) ongoing assessment, and 4) attainment of portable, industry-recognized credentials. To illustrate these components, the report presents the Aerospace Joint Apprenticeship Committee (Washington State), the Charleston Regional Youth Apprenticeship program (South Carolina), and Early Care & Education Pathways to Success (California).

This report is a formative evaluation of two employment programs targeting young people who are aging out of the foster care system: iFoster Jobs in Los Angeles County and Mentoring Youth to Inspire Meaningful Employment (MY TIME) in Chicago. Key questions addressed in the report include do the programs operate in keeping with their logic models, who do the programs serve, are the program goals attained, what are the programs’ successes and challenges, and do the programs have the potential for future rigorous evaluation.

This toolkit presents a systematic approach for utilizing human-centered design and behavioral science to develop solutions to problems tied to participant engagement and participation at state SNAP E&T programs. The toolkit focuses on addressing four key engagement problems: 1) first contact (getting individuals interested in SNAP E&T when initially contacting the SNAP agency); 2) service matching (reflecting assessment and referrals of SNAP participants to E&T services and providers); 3) handoffs and navigation between agencies; and 4) reverse referrals (engaging potential SNAP participants in eligibility through E&T providers rather than through SNAP agencies). Also included in the toolkit are examples and worksheets to help SNAP agencies and partners utilize this systematic approach.

This online self-paced course supports identification of occupations for youth and adult apprenticeship programs based on a five-step occupational selection approach. The process helps determine whether an occupation has mutual benefits for employers and the apprentice. Key learning objectives include how to identify an occupation through labor market trends and partnerships; how to use data evaluation tools to identify whether an occupation fits an identified apprenticeship program; and how to align labor market and program data with the U.S. Department of Labor’s apprenticeable occupation list. The course includes presentations from representatives from CareerWise USA and the Institute for American Apprenticeships.

This case study covers the New Moms program, which offers job training, housing, and family support programs to pregnant and parenting young women and their children in Chicago and its near western suburbs. The case study illustrates the New Moms model and presents its key features: what services are offered; how the model is organized, staffed, and funded; and how New Moms measures program participation and outcomes. The case study also highlights promising practices, challenges, and lessons learned.

This case study covers the Business Link program, housed in New York City’s Human Resources Administration. The program helps participants achieve self-sufficiency by providing job placement and subsidized employment opportunities for TANF cash assistance recipients and other low-income persons. Business Link develops connections with local businesses and helps them recruit, screen, and hire job candidates. The case study details where Business Link operates; whom it serves; what services are provided; how it is organized, staffed, and funded; and how it measures program participation and outcomes. The case study also discusses promising practices and remaining challenges.

This case study profiles Solutions for Change (Solutions), which supports families experiencing homelessness in San Diego County. The Solutions model progresses through a highly structured, three-phase, 1,000-day program. The sequence includes dedicated case management; onsite mental health services; 12-step support groups; unpaid work experience; parenting; employment readiness training classes; and a series of life skills. The case study notes where the Solutions model operates, its background and approach, and whom it serves; what services are provided; how it is organized, staffed, and funded; and how it measures participant progress. The case study also discusses the model’s accomplishments and challenges.