This Vera Institute of Justice report is an evaluation of the Institute’s five-year demonstration project that reviewed postsecondary education programs for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated persons. This project supported colleges and state corrections agencies in Michigan, New Jersey, and North Carolina in offering programs in prison and designing reentry programs for further education. The report illustrates the project design and its implementation, while including findings from interviews with program partners and former students.

This Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation report provides a qualitative review of the Mobile Coaching model used in La Plata County, Colorado to address transportation barriers that TANF participants in rural communities face. Under the Mobile Coaching model, case managers drive TANF participants to service providers and deliver case management while participants are in transit. The report documents case managers’ and participants’ perspectives.

Many families in the TANF system face complex challenges that make it difficult for them to attain economic security. Some have disabilities or struggle with substance abuse or physical or mental health issues. Others do not have the skills or experiences needed for available jobs. Still others cannot secure a job because of a criminal record or failed drug test. Many face several of these employment barriers at the same time. 

An Office of Family Assistance (OFA)-sponsored webinar on May 29, 2019 shared the experiences of two TANF programs which have developed innovative approaches to serving families with complex family needs. The Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance is partnering with the state vocational rehabilitation agency to pilot the Individualized Placement and Support (IPS) model of supported employment for a set of TANF customers who had previously been exempt from work requirements due to a limiting physical or mental condition. Ramsey County (Minnesota) Workforce Solutions partnered with a number of community partners to provide Families Achieving Success Today (FAST), an initiative designed to improve employment outcomes for TANF recipients with work limitations and/or disabilities and to reduce racial disparities in employment outcomes. A representative from Project IMPROVE informed attendees about support that may be available through OFA to design and test approaches to serving families with complex family needs.

The Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin at Madison will hold a webinar on May 15, 2019 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. CT to discuss research findings from the National Academies report, Cutting the Child Poverty Rate by Half. Two of the report’s authors, Hilary Hoynes and Robert Moffitt, will cover the effectiveness of current assistance programs and their policy and program recommendations to reduce child poverty by half in the next 10 years.

This Upjohn Institute study is an interim first-year report of the Institute’s “Promise: Investing in Community” initiative. The report presents strategies that rural areas as well as small and mid-sized cities might deploy to create shared prosperity. The strategies include investing in workers with education and training and investing in businesses through targeted incentives and direct funding assistance. The report includes a summary of best practices for place-based scholarships, workforce training, and support for small businesses, as well as guidance on how to integrate these best practices in an overall strategy drawn on local community assets.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration has posted a set of data resources and publications to identify rates of labor force participation among people with disabilities, as well as to illustrate the barriers to the labor market this population faces.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration presents two podcasts that support how Workforce Development Boards (WDBs) can engage with employers and businesses in their advisory capacity. This advisory role supports WDBs as they create sector strategies and develop demand-driven career pathways. Additional toolkits and handouts, which focus on board engagement, strategic planning, and program development, are also outlined.

This blogpost from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service identifies the activities and experiences that occurred at the first SNAP E&T State Institute, “Taking SNAP E&T to Scale.” The blog highlights best practices shared, as well as the strategic planning processes used to develop a road map for an effective state SNAP E&T program. Successful programs find in-demand jobs and pair them with skills training that employers need for high-growth occupations.

Both at the national and state level, Prosperity Now scorecards provide data on household financial health and racial economic inequality. These scorecards rank financial status and the path to prosperity for residents across all states. Indicators include job quality and wages, liquid savings for emergencies, credit scores and access to credit, homeownership rates, and access to health insurance.

This National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report to Congress identifies evidence-based programs and policies intended to reduce child poverty. The report, drawn from experts in psychology, cognitive science, public policy, education, sociology, and pediatrics, presents four packages of policies and programs. Within the existing set of programs, the report discusses expansion of SNAP, the Earned Income Tax Credit, and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit programs; it also offers new ideas for a national job training program and universal child allowance.