The Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation is accepting proposals for individual presentations, full conference sessions, and roundtables for the Research and Evaluation Conference on Self-Sufficiency (RECS) to be held in Washington, D.C. on May 27-29, 2020. Panels will cover the following topics: TANF Programs, Policies, and Populations; Employment and Mobility in the Labor Market; Youth Well-Being and the Transition to Adulthood; Strengthening Families, Fatherhood, Marriages, and Relationships; Evaluating Social Programs, Building Evidence, and Using Data; and Approaches to Alleviate Poverty and Expand Opportunity. Presentations will cover both basic and applied research targeted to a broad audience of researchers, practitioners, state and local administrators, and policymakers. The deadline for proposal submissions has been extended to September 6, 2019.

This Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation research-to-practice brief identifies examples of self-regulation skills, based on personality factors, emotional skills and cognitive skills, how coaches collaborate with low-income persons to set and pursue goals, and how employment outcomes are set as a result of the employment coaching interventions.

(See also Resources on "executive function" or "executive functioning" in the Resource Library)

The U.S. Department of Labor will host a webinar on August 19, 2019 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET to re-introduce the agency’s Clearinghouse for Labor Evaluation and Research (CLEAR). This Clearinghouse identifies information relevant to the Reemployment Services and Eligibility Assessment (RESEA) programs. Presentations will cover CLEAR website functionalities and how CLEAR can be used to identify evidence-based practices on job search assistance and reemployment programs that support RESEA program activities.

This Office of Child Support Enforcement Information Memorandum notes that state and tribal child support agencies are eligible for a funding and regulatory waiver, in order to create employment services for noncustodial parents struggling to make child support payments if these parents are unemployed or underemployed. This waiver is allowed under Section 1115 of the Social Security Act which provides limited demonstration authority to use federal funds for employment services.

The Information Memorandum also notes that state and tribal child support agencies that seek waivers must also utilize new funds - rather than existing resources - to cover their share of the cost of the pilot activities. With this Information Memorandum in place, the Office of Child Support Enforcement will provide technical assistance on how to apply for waivers and will be creating a toolkit of resources for assessment, design, and development of employment service programs for noncustodial parents.

The Anoka County Job Training Center is the only WIOA job center serving the county. It houses all public assistance programs, including TANF (called the Minnesota Family Investment Program), on-site WIOA partners, and child care services in the same building. As described in this brief, the Center has implemented strategies to streamline service delivery and co-enrollment among these programs, including a universal program application, a team of intake and eligibility specialists, and cross-program practices for adapting resources to meet client needs. This site also offers a rich mix of youth programming, such as employment and training opportunities for out-of-school and in-school youth, and a Human Services Youth Team to focus on young TANF recipients.

Sections of the brief discuss joint service delivery, resource sharing, shared learning, and managing collaborative activities. Readers may also access links to the state TANF plan and funding information for more context and resources. This brief is part of the TANF Works! TANF/WIOA Collaboration Series, through which the Office of Family Assistance’s Integrating Innovative Employment and Economic Stability Strategies (IIEESS) initiative seeks to highlight innovative coordination strategies of TANF and WIOA programs to serve low-income or vulnerable populations.

The American Job Centers in Pennsylvania (called PA CareerLink®) offer workforce services to TANF clients through the Employment Advancement Retention Network (EARN). As described in this brief, the PA CareerLink® in Lehigh Valley has developed a strong team-based culture, with staff organized by function instead of by program. This structure helps clients navigate the job center and encourages programs to exchange ideas, expertise, and data. These team-based collaborations are facilitated by regular meetings, cross-training on all programs, and staff and leadership dedicated to working toward integrated service delivery.

Sections of the brief discuss joint service delivery, resource sharing, shared learning, and managing collaborative activities. Readers may also access links to the state TANF plan and funding information for more context and resources. This brief is part of the TANF Works! TANF/WIOA Collaboration Series, through which the Office of Family Assistance’s Integrating Innovative Employment and Economic Stability Strategies (IIEESS) initiative seeks to highlight innovative coordination strategies of TANF and WIOA programs to serve low-income or vulnerable populations.