The “Success Sequence” is a proven formula to help young adults succeed in America. The three steps are

1. get at least a high school degree; then
2. get a full-time job; and lastly,
3. get married before having children.

Research shows that 97% of young people who follow all three steps are not poor as adults. This Institute for Family Studies webpage explores the three steps of the “Success Sequence” and explains how it alleviates poverty among young adults.

Under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the Governor of each state must submit a workforce State Plan to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor and the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education that outlines a four-year strategy for the state’s workforce development system. The State Plan serves as the state’s strategic workforce development plan and provides analyses of the state’s economic conditions, workforce characteristics, and workforce development activities.

The State Strategic Vision, Goals and Strategies for 2024-2027 were developed by modifying the previous State Plan’s Vision, Goals and Strategies in consultation with workforce program administrators, the Governor’s Workforce Development Board (GWDB), the Minnesota Association of Workforce Boards (MAWB), and the National Governors Association (NGA). The shift in Vision, Goals and Strategies represents a new strategic direction for workforce development in the state, one that is focused on breaking down silos across workforce partners and being more intentional and proactive about the delivery of programs and services to Minnesotans. These resources highlight One Minnesota Workforce Development’s WIOA strategic vision as well as state plan goals and strategies.

Maryland’s Combined Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) State Plan partners worked collaboratively to bolster the workforce system. There are multiple entry points to services, and Maryland subscribes to a “no wrong door” philosophy for customer access to services. Weekly orientations, walk-ins, partner referrals, the Reemployment Opportunities Workshop, and the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment program are typical entry points for new customers. As Maryland seeks to strengthen and enhance its practices through the implementation of this revised State Plan, success will require a commitment to innovation and collaboration, and a cohesive approach among partners. In 2022, Maryland added the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Employment and Training (SNAP E&T) program as a Core Partner. Recognizing that no single entity can exclusively provide all services to a customer, this more inclusive approach will diversify services and invest in new, integrated practices that surpass the traditional expectations of a workforce system.

In FY2022, states spent more than 44 percent of federal TANF and state funds on non-assistance services, including work, education, and training activities; childcare; and child welfare services. Questions have arisen about how states use and account for TANF funds, and as a result the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) was asked to review TANF non-assistance spending. This GAO report, part of a series of reports reviewing TANF, examines how the seven selected states have used TANF non-assistance funds, non-assistance data collected and used by selected states, and any data challenges faced by selected states and the extent to which the Department of Health and Human Services provides support to address these challenges.

The Office of Family Assistance’s TANF Outcomes Technical Assistance and Logistics (TOTAL) team hosted their office hours in June 2025 to review definitions, eligibility rules, and case studies related to the new Secondary School Attainment Rate reporting requirement. They discussed the data that needs to be collected, possible data sources, and how to calculate the secondary attainment rates.

The differences by family structure are substantial. Women who give birth out of wedlock suffer from pervasive disadvantage that cannot be explained by their basic social and demographic attributes. They work less. When they do work, they make less money. A high school or college education provides lower economic returns than it does for married or divorced mothers. Never-married mothers’ incomes increase more slowly with age. Even the impact of children, although modest for all mothers, is less strongly related to income than it is for married and divorced mothers.

This Institute for Family Studies resource uses data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth’s 1979 cohort to track whether specific individual mothers have bettered themselves economically over time, or instead, if different kinds of women are now becoming single mothers.

Studies have shown that literacy levels are strongly positively correlated with earnings and socioeconomic status, with high literacy levels associated with higher earnings. The effect is not limited to only adults in the household. Research highlights the importance of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) programs investing in adult basic education (ABE) to not only improve the earnings and employment outcomes for adults but also improve future outcomes for children in the household. This Office of Family Assistance brief explains how these investments aligns with TANF purpose two as literacy programming have downstream effects on the entire family and can lead to higher-paying jobs that increase economic independence and reduce benefit churn, where families exit TANF (or other means-tested benefits) only to reapply shortly thereafter. The brief highlights programs that utilized federal or state TANF dollars to provide programming that focuses on increasing literacy levels and skills gain, along with providing supportive services, to lead to better outcomes.

This ProLiteracy fact sheet highlights the issue of adult literacy in the United States, where more than 48 million adults lack basic reading, writing, and math skills beyond a third-grade level. These low literacy levels are associated with lower earnings.

The New York State Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget appropriated $55 million in TANF funds to support the 2024 New York State Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). The SYEP is an important platform to introduce youth into the workforce and help them acquire skills that can be used to improve school performance and become responsible adults. Since many low-income youths face the prospect of a challenging transition to work, constructive workforce experiences can provide great benefits. This Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance resource highlights allocation information and program guidance, including participant eligibility and allowable activities and services such as work subsidies for youth; supportive services such as transportation; case management; incentive payments; and education and training.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) employment and training (E&T) program in Hennepin County, Minnesota, is a state funded, county operated, 50% reimbursement program that works with community-based organizations to deliver services. As the program evolved, Hennepin County created a thorough onboarding training path for the community-based organizations with whom they partner.

SNAP’s Office of Employment and Training hosts a bi-annual national conference to bring state agencies and E&T stakeholders together. Attendees discover innovative ideas for increasing skills and employment among households. This session of the SNAP E&T 2024 National Forum shares Hennepin County’s step-by-step process onboarding guide, including the documents and resources that are utilized.